Excepted from the January/February 1979 issue Bill Bruford has never attained the widespread fame of Carl Palmer or Billy Cobham. But whenever Bruford’s name is mentioned, it is almost invariably prefaced by the term ‘’drummer extraordinaire” or ‘’precise percussionist.” Bruford, through a not-quite-ten-year career, has consistently demonstrated an ability to bring rhythmic crispness and sophistica­tion to some of the most complex and demanding arrangements in contemporary music. Born in Kent County, in the vicinity of London, England, May 17, 1949, Bill joined Yes as a charter member in 1969 after three days with the blues group Savoy Brown. Bill stayed with Yes for four years, leaving after the Close to the Edge album, before Yes became a gigantic commercial property. He moved to King Crimson, where his gift for syncopation was explored to the full. When that band broke up in 1974, he shuffled around the music scene, and in […]

December 2021 Issue