Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford (born May 17, 1948 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England) is an influential drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style and who has been a prominent figure in the art rock movement since 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 1973, 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. This band seems to have become his focus as of late, at least since he has left left the latest incarnation of King Crimson (therefore ending the "double trio" experiment).
Notable bands
- Yes, from its foundation to 1973's Close to the Edge as well as the Union project.
- 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 Genesis, Gong (band), National Health and UK.
- Bruford, a fusion band which released four albums between 1977 and 1980.
- Earthworks, his current jazz band founded in 1986.