William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1948 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford is an influential drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. He was a prominent figure in the art rock movement from the late 1960s. He has been in many bands and collaborated on numerous projects, the most famous of which have been Yes, King Crimson and his own fusion band Bruford. He shot to fame in the early Seventies with Yes, playing on their seminal LPs The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To The Edge but he stunned fans by quitting the band at the height of their success in 1972, accepting an invitation from Robert Fripp to join King Crimson.

Bruford is perhaps most famous for having revolutionized drumming through the use of electronic drums and melodic drumming. While Bruford has gone on to form his own jazz band, Earthworks, he continues to colaborate with many musicians, including one-time Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz and bassist Tony Levin. Earthworks has been his primary focus in recent years, particularly after his departure from the latest incarnation of King Crimson in 1999 (which ended the band's "double trio" experiment).

Notable bands

• Yes, from its foundation to 1972's Close to the Edge. He later participated in the related Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and Union projects.
• King Crimson, from 1972 and Larks' Tongues in Aspic to the mid-1990s and the ProjeKcts.
• Collaboration with numerous bands in the mid-to-late-1970s, including touring with Genesis and Gong (band) and playing with National Health.
• UK.
• Bruford, a fusion band which released four albums between 1977 and 1980.
• Earthworks, his current jazz band founded in 1986 and which has gone through several incarnations.

Discography

• Feels Good to Me (1978)
• One of a Kind (1979)
• Gradually Going Tornado (1980)
• The Bruford Tapes (1980, compilation)
• Music for Piano and Drums (1983)
• Flags (1985)
• Master Strokes: 1978-1985 (1986, compilaton)
• Earthworks (1987)
• Dig? (1989)
• All Heaven Broke Loose (1991)
• Symphonic Music of Yes (1993)
• Stamping Ground: Bill Bruford's Earthworks Live (1994, live)
• Heavenly Bodies (1997)
• If Summer Had Its Ghosts (1997)
• A Part & Yet Apart (1999)
• Sound of Surprise (2001)
• Upper Extremities (2001)
• Footloose and Fancy Free (2002, live)
• Random Acts of Happiness (2004)
• Every Step a Word, Every Word a Song (2004)

External links

• Bill Bruford's Official Site (http://www.billbruford.com/)

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