Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Never The Same Way Once (Footloose in NYC, 30th May 2001)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 18 кві 2024
- Visit Bill’s online store for exclusive and signed items: www.shorturl.at/adnpq
Here we are with one of my favourite editions of Earthworks in the grimy, sweaty, now defunct NYC club ‘The Bottom Line’. Good jazz writing has sufficient information for the musicians to get their teeth into, without offering so much it forces them to pay attention to the paper all the time. They are there to improvise, after all. It’s a knack you learn over a few years if you stick with it, and this song gets the balance about right.
The title phrase comes from drummer Shelley Manne, who for many years ran a jazz club in LA. It's the best definition of the jazz musician I’ve come across; a guy who never plays it the same way once.
The music known as jazz emerged from a fecund swamp of racial, societal, socio-economic and music-ecological circumstances peculiar to the southern United States, in the early years of the 20th century. However, a century later, it’s fair to say that it has grown big and strong and after some adolescent embarrassments (smooth jazz?), it has left home with a confident step, as arguably one of the United States’ greatest cultural exports. It embraces people of all genders and all religious, cultural, and political persuasions. It admits and adapts the music of the Hassidic Jew, the African, the European, the South American, the Cuban and probably the Tibetan, all though I can’t confirm the latter. How does it do this? Because it is intensely flexible, admitting and portable.
Can we Europeans play jazz? The great thing about being one of these outsiders - i.e. a European - is that I had and retain a huge admiration and affection for the gangling adolescent, but didn’t feel intimidated by the cultural baggage on his shoulders. Earthworks made up its jazz from pretty much anything left lying around. We’d throw some stuff in the pot, add some British progressive rock, two tablespoons of British humour, one teaspoon of understatement and some seasoning and hey presto! - some local flavour for the jazz gumbo.
Like a stone thrown into a multi-cultural pond, the ripples of jazz spread out in concentric ethnic circles too numerous to mention. Each new group would be admitted only grudgingly - notably in the case of female jazz musicians - and each group pulling up the drawbridge after it, loudly shouting “No more! Jazz is full! It’s being corrupted! Watered down!”. Happily life went on and the most exciting game-changers of whatever ethnicity or gender were duly admitted to the inner circle.
If popular music is mostly vocal music, the genre of jazz is mostly about instrumental performance. It’s the space you’ll probably end up in if you want to focus on your development as an instrumentalist, in real time collaboration, with people like Steve Hamilton, Mark Hodgson or Patrick Clahar, all heard in this video. It was a privilege to work with men of their calibre.
#billbruford #drumsolos #jazzdrumming #improvisationmusic#kingcrimson #tamadrums #electronicdrumkit #yes #rockdrummer #paistecymbals
I saw Bill a few times at the bottom line. One show in particular that I really enjoyed was with Patric Moraz. Technical finesse, barely controlled chaos, melodic beauty... Basically, a Bruford show....
A treasured moment
I was at this show... really one of the most special concerts I've ever attended. The band was on fire, and the overall vibe could not have been better. It really does seem like a lifetime ago. Thank you for sharing these vids and for your ever insightful and copious commentary!
Bill is just the Greatest !!
Well for this kind of music it would be Dave weckel. For progressive rock it would be Carl Palmer and Bill bruford. Ansley Dunbar Bobby Caldwell😊
man what a creative jive
Bill !!! Bill !!!! Bill !!!!! 😊 That was really fun. Thanks for sharing, Bill.
Thank you Bill! Awesome track as always!
Can hardly wait for it!
Hahaha, I read an article where one of the guys from the Crimson camp called Bill up and asked him if he wanted to do the Beat gig.
Reportedly he responded with, “and do what, sit around in airports all day.”
Hilarious.
Obviously I’m paraphrasing but man is that funny. I would like to see you play live Bill. I never got the chance and you were one of my musical drumming idols growing up. I’m very thankful to have these vids and the recordings.
Great video.
Pfffff que buena version por favor!!
There's a special quietness. A clarity of presence when all those present are so in the pocket?
This stuff isn't slow or easy, but as a player - the execution seems calm, languid?
Spot on
Thank you for the music,unreal, especially am fond of what you did with YES.!!!! Mind blowing stuff.
Jazz...hugs
👍👍👍
😊 ✨
I'm a huge fan, but the ringing snare drum is bugging me.
talk about oxymorons....
i like his drumming, but Jazz is heavy to understand for me, sorry
Just flow with the groove until it starts to swing and then man feel that hook😮😊😅
For this type of drumming which is mostly jazz or Jazz Rock Fusion there is nobody better than Dave weckl.. however progressive rock my nod goes to Carl Palmer and Bill bruford.. straight out rock and Progressive it has to be Bobby Caldwell Neil Peart and Terry Bozzio whoops almost forgot Aynsley Dunbar😮
It is difficult to understand this music.....sorry
Sorry for you
I don't "understand" it, but I like it. Very much.
@ZuHause-sh 1rb: That's okay. If you are not used to the more complex and outside the popular styles of music it is indeed a stretch for most people to "get it" right away. With your listening ear it's sort of like weight lifting for you arms. The heavier weight you lift the stronger your arms become. Likewise, the more you listen to music that challenges what you are comfortable with the stronger your ear becomes - the more comfortable you become listening to challenging styles of music. Well, that's been my experience anyway.
yeah..... theme jumping between real time and cut time
Just go with the flow baby! Just relax your mind and open your ears. Eventually you'll find the first beat. Lol, you looking for the one. I bet you really don't know what I'm talking about..😂
Seen you two times, with ABWH in Quebec and with Earthworks in Montreal ! A pleasure both times. ♥
BILL BRUFORD