Bill Bruford

William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1949, Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential British drummer who is recognised for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. He was the original drummer for the highly successful progressive rock group Yes, and has been a prominent figure in the art rock movement since the early 1970s. He has been in many other bands and collaborated on numerous projects, most famously King Crimson and his own fusion band Bruford.

He began playing the drums when he was thirteen, and was influenced by jazz drumming, which would manifest itself on early Yes albums and would remain an influence on his style throughout his career. He had success in the early seventies during his time with Yes playing on their first five albums including the LPs The Yes Album, Fragile, and Close to the Edge. He left Yes at the height of their success in 1972, returning briefly for the Union album which was released in 1991.

Bruford explained that he chose to play drums because he watched American jazz drummers of the 1960s on BBC TV on Saturday evenings.[1] These programmes turned the head of the thirteen-year-old Bruford. He found all the instrumentalists to be fascinating and mysterious, but particularly the drummers. His sister then gave him his first pair of brushes as a present.[1] He later took a few lessons - while still at school - from Lou Pocock of the Royal Philharmonic, but after that he picked up other techniques wherever he found them.
He said that he never acquired drum technique for the sake of acquiring it, but as a solution to a particular problem, and if he heard something that he couldn't do, he would learn how to do it. Bruford applied this way of learning to other instruments as well, although acknowledging that he has the 'classic amateur's technique'; meaning that he knows some very difficult bits and that he has some large gaping holes in his knowledge, but his amateurism can sometimes be helpful in forging a style, because he has to work around his weaknesses.
He met his wife, Carolyn, when they were 15; marrying at 24. They have three children, Alex (born 1977, also a drummer and in the band The Infadels), Holly (born 1979) and Jack (born 1986).

Bruford also spent six months touring with Genesis in 1976, recordings from which appeared on the Genesis live albums Seconds Out and Three Sides Live, as well as the theatrical release of Genesis: In Concert. Bruford, who was rehearsing (as guest percussionist) with Collins' side project Brand X, suggested drumming while Collins sang until they found a permanent live drummer. In the event he found he felt no deep affinity to the band's music. "I was just concerned with doing a good job on drums as a kind of 'hired gun'", he has been quoted as saying, stating he "behaved badly, sniped critically and impotently from the side lines", for which he subsequently apologised.

Trivia:

Bruford, noting the alliterative qualities of both names, would sometimes wear a Boston Bruins tank top that had a large letter "B" on the front.

Often wore yellow clothing during the 80's King Crimson era.

Bill Bruford's son Alex is also a drummer, currently playing for electro-rock act The Infadels.

Bruford has been involved in a number of abortive projects, most notably a trio with Rick Wakeman and John Wetton which made the headlines of Melody Maker in October 1976; Bruford has also told of "an abortive and late rehearsal/audition with bass player Jack Bruce out at his mansion in Essex, once, but nothing came of that". He was also approached in 1985 by ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page to be the drummer for his new band with Paul Rodgers, The Firm, along with bass player Pino Palladino. "We rehearsed briefly, but I think decided we were mutually unsuited..!

Notable bands

Yes, from its foundation in 1968 to 1972's Close to the Edge, and its 1991-92 Union period.

King Crimson, from 1972 and Larks' Tongues in Aspic to the mid-1990s and the Projects.

Collaboration with numerous bands in the mid-to-late-1970s, including touring with Genesis and Gong and playing with National Health.

Bruford, a fusion band which released four albums between 1977 and 1980.
UK on their 1978 debut album.

Earthworks (band), his current jazz band founded in 1986 and which has gone through several incarnations.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989), a project of four Yes alumni.

Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, an experimental collaboration with Tony Levin, David Torn and Chris Botti.