Having already spent twenty years on the cutting edge of modern rock percussion, Bill Bruford formed Earthworks in 1986, as a deliberate return to his roots in jazz. Availing himself of the brightest young talent on the burgeoning U.K. jazz scene, namely keyboardist and tenor horn player Django Bates, and saxophonist Iain Ballamy, both best known as frontrunners with the anarchic big band Loose Tubes, Bruford encouraged the use of rock technology with jazz sensibility - the hall mark of Earthwork's stylish approach. By letting in air and light, and adding a little wit and wisdom, they produced a particularly British antidote to the increasingly grotesque jazz fusion scene. The first LP for Editions EG, Earthworks, was a testament to their achievement.
It sounds simple, but the band only found its direction through serious live playing. No theoretical studio concoction here. Japan, Europe and the UK were all visited before the release of the first album. Immediately heads turned. The next five years saw the band consolidate and build on this early success with a second LP for Editions EG, Dig?, released in 1989, and a series of major jazz festival appearances in London, Glasgow, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Montreal and Chicago amongst others. Earthworks' third album, All Heaven Broke Loose, was recorded in Germany in, sadly, approximately the same one hundred hours, at the beginning of 1993, that it took the Allied Forces to defeat Iraq; the title is perhaps an optimistically ironic comment on that unhappy event. But it is ultimately live where jazz happens. Recorded mostly in America, and partly in England on tour in 1992, the band's fourth CD, Stamping Ground, was indeed, live, one-take, no overdubs, and very real.
Earthworks' progress was temporarily halted in 1994-96, when Bruford returned to active service with King Crimson, whose double-trio, double-drummer incarnation toured the world giving over 120 concerts. In 1997, however, business was resumed with the release of Heavenly Bodies on Virgin; this takes a broad overview of events since 1986, culling eleven tracks from across all four CDs, and adding previously unreleased live material. It is, for the newcomer, the ideal entry point to the ferocious agility with which the band negotiates the rapids, and for the long standing customer, an excellent "greatest hits" package.
1998 saw the release of Bill's "chamber trio" outing with guitarist/pianist Ralph Towner, and the legendary bassist Eddie Gomez. This revealed an ever-increasing maturity in his writing for small group which he wanted to take further and Earthworks was revitalised as his main touring and writing outlet at the end of that year.
This second edition of the band continues to use the best British talent available, and having effectively jettisoned electronic percussion is now revisiting the broadly acoustic sax-piano-bass-drums line up. Featuring Steve Hamilton who trained in the US, and has lent his services to Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard and Gary Burton among others; Patrick Clahar, the fast-rising London tenorist best known for his work with Incognito, and Mark Hodgson (bass), this is the quartet that produced "A Part , and Yet Apart" (1999 ), "The Sound of Surprise" (2001) and the 2002 double combo CD and DVD " Footloose and Fancy Free" / "Footloose in NYC ". Now featuring the brilliant multi-instrumentalist and composer Tim Garland, Earthworks will continue to tour internationally with a fresh CD through 2004.
Jeff from AoF here - just dropping by to listen to your tunes, and see
what's up! Congrats on your recent successes - we hope to catch up
with you on the road some day.
I still have not recovered from Bill's retirement !! What a loss, I hope Bill will make more studio cds, especially with the mind blowing Earthworks. Love live Bill
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BONNE ANNÉE, GROSSES BISES et VIVE le ROCK...
You are the master. I met you in MPLS on a King Crimson tour! Please check out my youtube videos of me playing YES, GENESIS and ZAPPA! http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=1YbNlCzAQGY
Don't forget to come out and support the doggies and incredible local and regional up and coming talent at Dogstock-The Musical Celebration of the Dogs August 14-17 ... Only $60 donation per car for all four days and nights including park by camping on 81 beautiful shady acres of Osage County Kansas private property located between Pomona Lake and Melvern Lake! Only an hour from KC, Lawrence, Topeka and the bargain of the year. All talent, sound and lights are donated thanks to many caring musicians, techs and other volunteers to benefit the AARF Humane Sanctuary.
![Proghma-C [NewSongAdded,Bar-doReleasedInPoland]](http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/68/s_fd36a68ce0304601bb840bab89aecf8b.jpg)
