Blood Like Red is the 3rd track from the 2014 Music From An Expanded Universe album. The video features Leon Alvarado on Keyboards and Drums. Trey Gunn (King Crimson, The Security Project) on Warr Guitar and Bass and Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates) on Taos Drums percussion. Produced by Leon Alvarado, Engineered by Leon Alvarado, Trey Gunn and Mastered by Andy Jackson
For years I had wanted to add visuals to what it is one of my favorite pieces from my music. Leon Alvarado
Leon Alvarado is Texas-based prog drummer, keyboardist, composer, and illustrator, Alvarado has recorded with many talented musicians including Bill Bruford (Gong, Yes, Genesis, Earthworks), John Goodsall (Brand X, Fire Merchants), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Paul McCartney), Billy Sherwood (Yes, Asia), Rick Wakeman and Tony Levin.
On the graphics front I have done album covers and touring materials for bands such as Brand X, Genesis, Phil Collins, Jethro Tull, Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, and King’s X.
A Critics Point of View
This is not one of those balls-to-walls prog-rock affairs. For instance on “Blood Like Red,” the artists execute a slowly moving and budding rock pulse, steered by Gunn’s prominent bass lines, in support of the leader’s polytonal voicings, sounding somewhere in between a mellotron and synth strings type soundscape. Moreover, Alvarado layers a tabla vibe to incorporate a world music background into the mix, followed by Gunn’s stinging and crunchy Warr guitar notes. All About Jazz
“Blood Like Red” starts and ends with atmospheric wind effects with the middle brimming with Alvarado’s spacier synth exploits and Gunn’s textural Warr guitar crunch. It is here the band really gets into a full but subtle groove. Jon Neudorf – Sea of Tranquility
Includes 15 official releases plus previously unreleased and little known material!
London – A Summerfold Records reissue, Bill Bruford’s ‘Earthworks Complete’is a spectacular 20CD/4DVD box set of the entire back catalogue across Earthworks’ 20-year career. Includes previously unreleased and little known material.
What’s in the box?
15 titles on 20 CDs and 4 DVDs document the 20 year history from 1987 to 2006 of one of the UK’s brightest, most travelled and best loved young jazz ensembles.
Featuring Bill Bruford with Iain Ballamy, Django Bates, Patrick Clahar, Laurence Cottle, Tim Garland, Steve Hamilton, Tim Harries, Mark Hodgson, Mick Hutton, Gwilym Simcock.
All audio, visual and print materials compiled and curated by Bill Bruford.
Additional original artwork by award-winning illustrator, photographer and filmmaker Dave McKean.
Orders via Cherry Red and Burning Shed include a postcard of Dave McKean’s artwork, hand signed by Bill Bruford, while stocks last
1. Earthworks 2. Dig? 3. All Heaven Broke Loose 4. Stamping Ground- Live 5. A Part, and Yet Apart 6. The Sound of Surprise 7. Footloose and Fancy Free (2CD) 8. Random Acts of Happiness 9. Footloose in NYC (2CD & 1DVD set) 10. A Video Anthology Volume 1: 2000s (2CD & 1DVD set) 11. A Video Anthology Volume 2: 1990s (2CD & 1DVD set) 12. Earthworks Underground Orchestra 13. Earthworks in Santiago, Chile (1CD & 1DVD set: previously unreleased video) 14. From Conception to Birth (17 short tracks showing the process from demo to master, with explanatory notes from Bill Bruford) 15. Heavenly Bodies Expanded (2CD “best of” collection across the entire catalogue, with explanatory notes from Bill Bruford)
What do people say?
A tremendous treasure trove of material known and previously unheard. (All About Jazz).
This is a heady concoction indeed, and one which joyously breaks down all sorts of musical barriers in its path. (The Times, London)
It mixes up styles, moods and meters as effortlessly as it ignores musical boundaries. (Wall St. Journal)
Earthworks makes jazz out of just about anything handy… (Jazziz)
Includes performances by Bryan Ferry, Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio, Allan Holdsworth, John Wetton and Bill Bruford!
Nominated for 2019 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his innovative work along with Roxy Music, Eddie Jobson is considered the definitive musicians’ musician. “1971-1979 The Band Years” is the first of five planned compilation albums, one for each decade of Jobson’s outstanding career as an award-winning composer and internationally acclaimed keyboardist and electric violinist.
This first double-CD release features tracks from Jobson’s band years in the ’70s, including his work as a member of Curved Air, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa & The Mothers, and UK – the progressive-rock supergroup he co-founded with John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth and Bill Bruford. Classic tracks include Curved Air’s “Metamorphosis,” written by Jobson at the age of 17; Roxy Music’s “Out of the Blue”; and UK’s “In The Dead of Night.” All tracks have been digitally remastered for this special compilation.
Includes performances by Bryan Ferry, Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio, Allan Holdsworth, John Wetton and Bill Bruford.
2CD and 8-page booklet with personal liner notes for all 21 tracks
DISC 1
1) Spanish Dream [live synthesizer solo from 1971 – Age 16]
2) Metamorphosis [Curved Air album “Air Cut”]
3) Armin [Curved Air album “Air Cut”]
4) On a Still Night [Eddie Jobson – early solo recording]
5) Yesterday Boulevard [Eddie Jobson – early solo recording]
6) As The World Turns [Bryan Ferry – non-album track]
7) She Sells [Roxy Music album “Siren”]
8) A Song for Europe [Roxy Music album “Stranded”]
9) Out of the Blue [Roxy Music album “Country Life”]
10) Läther [Frank Zappa – live recording]
11) In The Dead of Night [UK album “U.K.”]
12) By The Light of Day [UK album “U.K.”]
13) Presto Vivace & Reprise [UK album “U.K.”]
DISC 2
1) Alaska [UK album “U.K.”]
2) Time to Kill [UK album “U.K.”]
3) Nevermore [UK album “U.K.”]
4) Danger Money [UK album “Danger Money”]
5) The Only Thing She Needs [UK album “Danger Money”]
6) Rendezvous 6:02 [UK album “Danger Money”]
7) Caesar’s Palace Blues [UK album “Danger Money”]
8) Carrying No Cross [UK album “Danger Money”]
Classical prodigy and teen star — Award-winning film composer — “A musical genius” (Editor-in-chief of Emmy magazine) — Electronic music innovator — Nominated for 2019 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — World music and jazz record producer — Lecturer on The Art & Science of Music — Electric violin virtuoso — Award-winning pianist
With an international reputation as the definitive musicians’ musician, British musician Eddie Jobson has been recognized as a musical genius since childhood. As a piano and violin prodigy, he was awarded a Diploma of Distinction by London’s Royal Academy of Music at the age of 8, performing with his first professional orchestra at age 10. At 16, he was appointed as the Young Persons’ Representative to the British Government’s Arts Council and, the same year, performed his debut concert at the University of Newcastle – one of the first live concerts to feature the electronic music synthesizer. By age 17 he had acquired a worldwide record deal with Warner Bros. to record his first full album, playing violin, synthesizer and piano.
Transitioning away from classical music and still only 17, he became orchestrator for British singer Bryan Ferry, leading to Jobson becoming a full member of the influential art-rock group Roxy Music, contributing to their first number-one album as synthesist and groundbreaking electric-violinist. Eddie’s proficiency in re-sculpting and professionalizing the Roxy sound played a major role in the band’s success and their considerable influence on the likes of U2, The Talking Heads and many of the ’80s new wave rock/pop groups. Jobson’s early pioneering work as a teen, along with the other Roxy members and fellow synthesist Brian Eno, has resulted in a nomination for 2019 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Remaining in the rock and jazz world after Roxy, Eddie – still only 21 – was “discovered” by American music icon Frank Zappa and flown to Los Angeles to replace both jazz greats George Duke on keyboards and Jean-Luc Ponty on violin, in Zappa’s only four-piece lineup. Returning to England in 1978 after several albums and world concert tours with Zappa, Jobson then formed the internationally acclaimed progressive-fusion band UK with jazz-guitar legend Allan Holdsworth, King Crimson vocalist John Wetton, and original Yes drummer Bill Bruford. The UK albums, along with his other work with King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull and with members of Deep Purple and The Who, established Jobson not only as one of the top keyboardists in rock, but also as, arguably, the top rock violinist in the world.
In the 1980s, Eddie put rock music and concert touring aside and focused on electronic music and the innovative world of computer music. He created the first music video to feature CGI, as well as the world’s first album performed entirely on the Synclavier Music Computer. Featured in TIME magazine, this critically acclaimed album was one of the very first all-digital CD releases.
The 1990s saw Jobson move into the world of television and film scoring – an award-winning side-career that culminated in him becoming choral director for Disney on two major movies and the soundtrack composer on numerous films, TV shows and 3D theme-park experiences. Fascinated with all musical forms, he left the world of Hollywood in 2000 and formed a musicians’ label called Globe Music as a vehicle for producing a diverse array of jazz and world-music artists. This period also saw Eddie working with the Tuvan throat singers; composing for and conducting both the City of Prague Philharmonic and The Bulgarian Women’s Choir, and also functioning as the choir’s spokesperson at Harvard University and on multiple classical radio broadcasts.
An unexpected return to the concert stage in 2008, saw Jobson perform to a festival audience of more than 200,000 people in Kazan, Russia, leading to ten more years of world tours until his permanent retirement from live concerts in 2018. In 2017, Jobson received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Progressive Music Awards in London.
Five new double-CD releases are being released to commemorate Jobson’s almost fifty years as one of the world’s most respected musicians. Eddie is also currently producing six video lectures on The Art and Science of Music.
Los Angeles – Celebrating the 40th anniversary of UK’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut record released on Polydor in 1978, Eddie Jobson is making this seminal album available on vinyl for the first time since its original release. It will be released on April 21st, and available exclusively to Record Store Day participating retailers worldwide. The record is pressed on 180 gram vinyl, and includes an 8 page full color booklet designed exclusively for this release. The album is remastered from the original tapes located at Abbey Road Studios in London, which is the same master that was used in the now out of print “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” box set that compiled all the works of UK’s 3 albums, along with rarities, live material and 5.1 versions across 18 discs.
“I’m pleased to recognize the 40th Anniversary of this seminal album with this carefully remastered vinyl release. This is now a legacy recording, made even more significant with the recent passing of both Wetton and Holdsworth, that I hope will represent a benchmark for future musicians.” – Eddie Jobson
The Music
In October 1977 the new supergroup featuring Eddie Jobson, Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Allan Holdsworth entered the rehearsal room, each armed with a panoply of musical ideas. Each song, theme, part or riff was logged in, like a jigsaw piece, and so the organizing and arranging of the individual pieces began. External expectations were high, not just for what these four individual innovators might create together, but because Trident Studios in Soho was already booked to record the results of their highly anticipated collaboration.
The music of UK would be developed over several weeks. Wetton would reintroduce “Thirty Years,” a song first tried out with the Wakeman trio; Bruford brought in some harmonic, but mostly rhythmic ideas. Holdsworth’s contributions revolved around his distinctive chord voicings, forming the foundation of such tracks as “Nevermore” and “Mental Medication.” Meanwhile, Jobson – the more formal composer of the group – brought in pages of musical notation that included the entire “In The Dead of Night” suite, minus vocal melody lines, but including “By The Light of Day” and the Zappa-influenced “Presto Vivace,” along with a complete version of “Alaska,” the verse of “Time To Kill” and half of “Nevermore.” The myriad musical ideas were painstakingly stitched together, mainly by Bruford and Jobson, but it would be Wetton’s melodic and lyrical sense that would ultimately glue the disparate stylings into something resembling cohesive songs. Notwithstanding the considerable stylistic contributions of Holdsworth and Bruford, with a full sixty percent of the new album material emanating from Jobson’s compositions, and with the addition of Wetton’s vocal melodies and lyrics, the first UK album truly marked an auspicious beginning to the highly symbiotic Jobson-Wetton writing partnership.
Trident Studios, December 1977
The “U.K.” album was recorded over a six-week period. Holdsworth’s classic guitar solo on “In The Dead of Night” was created on the fly. Wetton’s dense harmonies were carefully overdubbed over the course of many hours. Jobson created the entire electronic section of “Nevermore” on the studio’s massive ARP 2500 modular synthesizer. An amalgam of classical, jazz, rock and electronic, the first UK album was considered truly groundbreaking; Rolling Stone magazine called it “The great white hope of progressive music.”
In 2016 Rolling Stone selected the “U.K.” album as one of the Top 30 “best progressive-rock albums of all time.” Though, in a burst of collaborative brilliance, this towering lineup recorded only one album together, the pioneering musicians known as UK have still carved their place in rock history as one of the greatest progressive-rock bands of all time, and have left this classic recording as an exemplary standard for future musicians.
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Scholar and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bill Bruford, best known for his work with Yes, King Crimson, Genesis and his prolific solo career, has authored a new book, to be Published by the University of Michigan Press on January 28th. Pre-orders are now being taken.
What’s it about?
The book is an exploration of the creativity involved in the way drummers make things work, make things matter, and make sense of both. It draws on interviews with nine top drummers and Bruford’s own experience to improve understanding in collaborative popular music performance. What do expert drummers do? Why do they do it? Is there anything creative about it? If so, how might that creativity inform their practice and that of others in related artistic spheres? Applying ideas from cultural psychology to findings from original research into the creative behaviors of a specific subset of popular music instrumentalists, Bruford demonstrates the ways in which expert drummers experience creativity in performance and offers fresh insights into in-the-moment interactional processes in music.
Why buy?
“If you’re an instrumentalist” recommends Bill, “give it to the nearest drummer, so he or she knows what drummers are for. If you’re a drummer give it to the other people in your band, so they know what drummers are for. And get a copy for yourself, so you know what drummers are for!”
Early praise for ‘Uncharted’
“… an intelligent, thought-provoking treatise on the notion of creativity in Western popular music. Over the course of a number of interviews and case studies involving expert drummers, Bill Bruford examines how such practitioners approach and understand creativity. In the process, he crafts a relational processual model for understanding creativity and the creative process for real-time interactive performing arts (theatre, dance, music). The result is a fascinating and rewarding read that will surely affect players and listeners alike as they think about the concept of finding ‘creative meaning in making it work and making it matter.’”
—Rob Bowman, Grammy Award Winning Professor of Music
“After forty years of creating professional music, pretty much all of it to his taste (passing rare), Bill Bruford has laid down the torches — and tried to capture their flame in words. Begin by running your eyes down the list of Bill’s collaborators. The expert performers and teachers will attract any reader with more than a passing affection for music. Simply put, it is a lights-out masterpiece of useful insight and passionate, reflective wisdom.”
—Neil Peart, drummer Rush
“The contributions of the wide-ranging active percussionists Bruford surveyed will make this an important primary document for future researchers examining the role of drummers in group improvisation, the recording process, and more.”
—Kevin Holm-Hudson, University of Kentucky
“The book lives up to its expectations. Drawing on his own insider’s knowledge and extensive interviews with an impressive roster of expert drummers about the nature of creativity and what it means to them, Bruford has produced a brilliant ethnography of professional drummers and drumming culture in the rock era.”
—Mark Spicer, Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center
“It is no surprise to find Dr. Bruford so eloquently putting into language that which springs from such a non-linguistic source. Bill’s scholarly insights matched with a career’s-worth of personal experience shed an authoritative light on the creative role of the drummer. In today’s world of computer-generated rhythmic music, how wonderful to tap into this most organic and visceral element in music’s heritage, and deepen our appreciation of this immense creativity, past and present.”
—Tim Garland, saxophonist, composer
“The author cites relevant scholarly work, his roster of drum experts is beyond question (including himself), but most importantly, the insights he synthesizes from his source material are both original and valuable.”
—Shaugn O’Donnell, The City College, CUNY
How to order
Bill Bruford’s “Uncharted: Creativity and the Expert Drummer”:
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