Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Pigalle (Quattro Club, Tokyo, 2nd Dec, 1991)

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The first edition of my band Earthworks evoked a certain British playfulness. Pigalle was the tourist area of Paris, known for it’s neon-lit red light district, that benefited from an immigrant population of Algerians, Senegalese and Moroccans. It had colour, vibrancy and excitement. The area has probably been ‘tidied up’ now, like Manhattan, NY. Django Bates’ (keyboards and horn) and saxophonist Iain Ballamy’s co-written melody has a whiff of the street-food you’d pass as you rolled down the street.
Electronic drums were still in their infancy in 1991, but already helping me to bring out a melodic aspect to any rhythm I chose to set up. Notwithstanding all the kit, I hear I opted for hand clapping for a fair bit of Iain’s soprano solo. After the abrupt change of tempo at about 3’43”, Django tears it up with a pretty traditional and very French accordion (squeeze-box) sound from the keyboards. His solo peaks with a cue at around 5’56”, and we’re on to the home stretch, a mad rush for the finish where the only instruction to the band for the end tune was ‘play as fast as possible’ till it hits the brick wall of the final note.
There’s a bit of Zawinul’s Weather Report here in the appropriation of other culture’s food, smells and beats as raw material for colourful collaboration, written or improvised. Pigalle has plenty of both - may have missed a bit of garlic, but hey, can’t have everything. It’s an idealised fantasia on the kind of music a Moroccan street band (albeit with a lot of kit!) would have been playing in Pigalle as we Earthworkers walked by in 1991, on the way to our own gig. Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed playing it.
#earthworks #billbruford #drummer #officialchannel #billbrufordsearthworks #drums #drumsolos #drumming #kingcrimson

[@LAOMUSICARTS]

The power of unison!

[@brettmarlar4154]

I'm excited for this one! Improvised music at its finest!

[@grahamfjlaws6108]

Django Bates is a towering force in this incarnation of the band.

[@peterorr999]

Great stuff!

[@mikey-mike8301]

Simply put, Bill... You are the Master of innovation in the music world!

[@josemanuelvallsfuste4775]

Bravo. Undiscutiblement the best in a big Band. Increíble.

[@bigvrocks2480]

Holy Shiitake! Fantastic! What a group... Bruf-ford!

[@vrlord7949]

Still keep an autograph of Bill Bruford an Tim Harries on a concert Tticket - you gave me a good time when my life way just in a mess! 🤗

[@garyscheuch3106]

I want to be in Bill's band. Cool # $hit.

[@FFlyDDrum1]

Amazing creativity and drive

[@DonSandersonDrums]

What a cool tune. Masterful playing by all involved. Bill looks like he is having such fun!

[@demonicsweaters]

Amazing performance! You and the bassist are so locked on. This is fantastic!

[@poodius7]

Complex music for complex musicians.....I applaud this performance!👏

[@tommyrawlings3046]

BB has always been my favorite percussionist! I always found him to be the most intriguing interesting percussionist of all time!

[@craig528]

Always one of my favorite Earthworks tunes! Tim Harries hands really get a workout at this tempo.

[@JFKDrummer]

Awesome 😎

[@MrSphinxster]

This is just fantastic!

[@ExpressionVessels]

Wonderful 👍👍

[@unicyclepeon]

Legit top tier entertainment!!

[@maxfreitas8982]

Great

[@jaimelondono7564]

Bruf....lord and Master!!!

[@ANTHONYCUSHEN]

Happy memories. Thank you Bill.

[@Tommyguitargibson]

Also remember I was there at David torn at Alvin's

[@jeffschielka7845]

🥁🎺🎹🎸

[@BasicDrumming]

Great video.

[@WooBino.]

Bill Could you put out an album of you playing on Yessongs you were not part of?

[@Tommyguitargibson]

I saw Bill at Harpo's music theater to John Clark was on guitar I was upset 🗿🚬

[@musterpie]

Came back to Japan.

[@kathowed]

Is it even legal to have this much fun playing what might be called jazz!?

[@Tommyguitargibson]

I've seen earthworks 2 at magic bag it was all right to everyone could not smoke cigarettes because Bill did not want that 🤓🚬

[@martysender5539]

Nice!!! Marty Sender You Tube

[@BertieBoy-100]

Oh man that was stellar, what a tight band! As a side note right after the video ended... "Metallica Live..... blah blah blah" I'm not your target audience there boys.

[@WooBino.]

Bill HUGE mistake leaving Yes. King Crimson had nothing on Yes, music for guys w/o girlfriends.

[@toshinokyokosenpai9239]

🤣 KC far better than yes, "music for guys without girlfriends"? That's your argument? 🤣

[@WooBino.]

@@toshinokyokosenpai9239 KC had zero on Yes. And John Wetton was a poor man’s Greg Lake, so ELP ruled over them as well. Music for white guys who can’t dance.

[@jeroenrl1438]

@@WooBino. I prefer dancing to Thela Hun Ginjeet to dancing to Close to the Edge. Love them both.

[@Tomaz-Lanza]

@@toshinokyokosenpai9239 It's a good argument 😂😂

[@chrisgale5634]

Why would anyone want to stay doing the same thing over and over in their early 20s?