Not Traveling With Himself, or Anyone Else

One of my favorite drummers of all time, Bill Bruford, has retired from live performance. For the most part, he was only playing in the U.K. anyway (not to be confused with playing with U.K., one of the many amazing bands he's participated in) for the last couple of years, but I'll still miss seeing him live anyway.

To the best of my recollection, I've seen Bruford live four times. Once with Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe back in about 1989, twice with King Crimson in 1995 and 1996, and then once with B.L.U.E. at the Park West in Chicago a few years after that.

On the plus side, his autobiography is coming out this year on my birthday.

And finally, here's a video clip of the man himself demonstrating how he used his Simmons electronic drum kit back around the first Earthworks album from the Rock School series.

There's also a bit right at 5:20 or so of this clip from the same episode, where Bruford sets up his segment with his trademark wit and a bit of "My Heart Declares A Holiday," which happens to be the ringtone on my phone.