Bill Bruford
Drummer: William Scott "Bill" Bruford
Style: Progressive Rock and Jazz
Main Bands: Yes, King Crimson, UK, solo works
Brief Summary: Bill is the quintessential prog-rock drummer, in fact you could say that he is the grandfather of the progressive drumming style. 'Recently retired' from the business, Bill has an enviable position of having played in four of the foremost British progressive rock bands, starting with Yes (leaving after their classic "Close To The Edge" album), joining King Crimson (which he would be in and out of their lineups over time) doing a brief tour with Genesis when Phil Collins took over lead vocals, and forming UK (only to leave after one album). A master of odd meters, polyrhythms and complex as well as more simple and swinging percussion, it was Bruford's use of the earlier Simmons SDS-7 electronic drums on King Crimson's trilogy of "Discipline", "Beat" and "Three Of A Perfect Pair" that not only showed what was possible with electronic percussion (and therefore gave acceptance to all the electronic drums that are out there today), but rhythmically was also influential on a whole new generation of drummers such as Danny Carey, Tim "Herb" Alexander, Mike Portnoy, Gavin Harrison and Blake Richardson.
Other Facts: After a number of line-up changes in his solo project Earthworks, Bill decided to forego electronics altogether, citing not only the expense of freighting his Simmons SDX kit, but the fact that he wanted to go back to his love of playing acoustically with a jazz drummer's touch. His son Alex is also a drummer, but stylistically way different than Bill.
On the King Crimson track "Trio" from "Starless And Bible Black" Bill is credited by Robert Fripp (the group's founder) as "contributing silence", as Bill (being a writer himself - he plays piano as well) knew the tune, a delicate piece between bass, violin and Mellotron, did not require any percussion at all.
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