Bill Bruford grew up with jazz.  As an amateur drummer in the 1960’s, and after a handful of lessons from Lou Pocock of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he began his professional career in 1968.  He was a guiding light in the so-called British “Art Rock” movement, touring internationally with Yes and King Crimson from 1968–74.  There then followed several years spent observing and participating in the music making processes of, among others, Gong, National Health, Genesis and U.K., until Bill felt ready to write and perform his own music with his own band Bruford, recording four albums from 1977–80.

It was, however, the reconstituted King Crimson of 1980–84, that provided the vehicle for his revolutionary use of electronics in developing the melodic side of percussion.  Following an interim two year / two album stint improvising on acoustic piano and drums with Patrick Moraz, Bruford formed his long-running electro-acoustic jazz group  Earthworks in 1986, with Django Bates and Iain Ballamy, specifically to continue this work on melody from the drum set, but now in a jazz context.

King Crimson again proved itself a veritable percussion think-tank when it launched the double-rhythm team of Bruford and Pat Mastelotto in the 1994 double-trio incarnation.  Through late 1994 to 1996, the band toured the world, giving 120 concerts, and producing studio and live CD’s documenting its fresh and innovative use of two drummers.

In between all this, Bill  also found time to record and/or tour with Kazumi Watanabe, David Torn, The New Percussion Group of Amsterdam, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Akira Inoue, Al Di Meola, Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe, the Buddy Rich Orchestra,Tony Levin, Pete Lockett, The World Drummers Ensemble, Michiel Borstlap and his old firm Yes amongst others. He has continued as an active clinician with workshops and clinics all over the world, supported by Tama Drums and Paiste cymbals. He has also for many years endorsed the products of Pro-Mark, Shure, and Evans. In 1990, the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine voted him into that magazine’s Hall of Fame.

The late 90s saw Bruford underlining his return to jazz, with a full-time commitment to Earthworks. The new millenium saw the foundation of two record imprints—Winterfold Records and Summerfold Records. The former offers remastered versions of Bill’s substantial pre-Earthworks catalogue, and the latter, Summerfold Records, has re-released the Earthworks catalogue, together with all new material. Bill’s life and work are well documented at www.billbruford.com .

Bill Bruford has three adult children and continues to live in the Surrey Hills in the UK with his wife Carolyn, and two cats.

Monday, 26th January,2009:
Bill retires from public performance:
After 41 years of moving the percussive pulse in music and raising people's pulses in general, Bill Bruford has announced his retirement from public performance, effective from January 1st 2009.