Earthworks II / Bruford-Borstlap
Appearances can be deceptive, and gigs are drying up. Four years ago Bruford maintained he would be unable to function at less than 50 gigs a year, and the tally for 2002 was a miserable 45. 2003 doesn’t look any better. For him, playing an instrument at this level requires constant gigging – below a certain frequency, it becomes difficult to remember the language. It also becomes increasingly hard to secure the services of the band members if there is less to offer on a regular basis.
Teaches a course at the local Academy of Contemporary Music.
A useful UK tour in the Spring is used to run-in new material from the hugely-productive Tim Garland, (which is to form the basis for a new CD to be recorded live in Oakland CA.), and peaks with a season headlining at Ronnie Scott’s, a milestone of sorts.
Bill’s 54th birthday and 2729th gig is celebrated on stage at Catalina’s in Hollywood, and, a fresh CD safely recorded, the second edition of Earthworks returns to UK to allow the future to present itself.