This three-disc retrospective spans 30 years of Bill Bruford’s solo career, from 1977’s Feels Good To Me to 2007’s In Two Minds. The music is arranged roughly chronologically and according to which of the drummer’s labels it appeared on – Winterfold for his more electronic side of his output, and Summerfold for his acoustic, improvised material.
Most of the albums are represented by two selections each, although Feels Good To Me contributes four tracks of Weather Report-inspired fusion. There are two instances of Bruford exploring the possibilities of a duo format, with pianist Patrick Moraz in the 1980s and Michiel Borstlap in the 2000s.
Moraz’s playing is terrific, with a vigorous energy and rich, bold chord voicings that more than compensate for the absence of a bassist. Borstlap brings a more abstract approach, affording the drummer the space to play with unusual sounds and textures.
The second disc, covering the mid-1980s and the 90s, finds Bruford experimenting with electronic percussion. Inevitably, the technology makes some of this material sound slightly dated: It Needn’t End In Tears veers towards muzak with its synth panpipes. Fortunately, there’s much more life and colour in Bruford’s acoustic trio with guitarist/pianist Ralph Towner and bassist Eddie Gomez.
Disc three continues in that jazz vein, with highlights including the big band energy of Footloose And Fancy Free, which boasts a rare drum solo, and the elegant ballad Come To Dust. The drummer has a restrained style, even in an upbeat tune like White Knuckle Wedding, where he concentrates on groove and time, rather than busting chops.
The closest this collection comes to new material is the track Sound Of Surprise, previously only released in Japan, but the set provides an impressive overview of Bruford’s restless curiosity and hunger for fresh ideas as bandleader and composer.
The Winterfold & Summerfold Years is on sale now via Winterfold/Summerfold.
