'A world class display of old fashioned English understatement' The Times, London.
The close working relationship between two leading individuals on the London jazz scene, drummer Bill Bruford and saxophonist Tim Garland, is mirrored in the creation of the Earthworks Underground Orchestra. This little big band’s debut performance in the USA at Iridium, New York City, was captured live in full roaring swing, and the result will appeal alike to Earthworks fans, and fans from Bruford’s former life in King Crimson and Yes.
Earthworks, as a small group, celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2006 and when Bruford and Garland took fresh arrangements of some of the band’s best loved tunes over to NYC to work with some of the finest players in the U.S. in a nine-piece configuration, it sounded like the perfect anniversary party was just around the corner! This CD oozes that feeling of fun and excitement as the celebrations get under way .
It is indeed a rare opportunity to find Bill in such a unique setting. “The last time I did anything on this scale was with the Buddy Rich Orchestra, which I loved.” he says. “I like to think I did at least as well with them as Buddy would have done with King Crimson! It’s a privilege for me to have the Earthworks’ book given the Garland treatment. I wasn’t sure I knew entirely what it would sound like with the American guys, but for certain I had the best seat in the house when I finally found out.”
The CD includes Earthworks standards such as Up North and Libreville, newer material such as Bajo del Sol and Speaking in Wooden Tongues, and the beautiful ballads It Needn’t End In Tears and Rosa Ballerina. Several of the band members (trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, alto player Steve Wilson and saxophonist Tim Garland) are distinguished jazz leaders in their own right.
Earthworks Underground Orchestra comes with a bonus 2-track CD for the first 3000 individually numbered copies. For those familiar with Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, this is a hugely entertaining way of re-visiting the band’s best loved tunes; for those unfamiliar with the band or the sound of a large group of the USA’s top players in action, hold onto your hats!
