Even by the standards set on the previous three studio CDs by his band
Earthworks
, drummer
Bill Bruford
hits on all cylinders on the live 1994 release
Stamping Ground
. The music is practically uncategorizable, as
Bruford
and bassist
Tim Harries
set a muscular pace for saxophonist
Iain Ballamy
and keyboardist/horn player
Django Bates
on the serpentining opener
"Nerve."
"Up North"
slows the pace and showcases
Ballamy
's melodic sensibilities, then the lengthier workouts begin.
"A Stone's Throw"
features a duet intro between
and
(on percussion), then the saxophonist sways over the acoustic bassline of
Harries
and the embellishments of
. The drummer toyed with the primary use of electronic drums on
releases in the 1980s, but reverts to a more acoustic format here -- yet the intro to the nine-minute
"Pilgrim's Way"
still shows the melodic possibilities of
's creative electric "chordal drums."
Bates
'
"Emotional Shirt"
blends classical sensibilities with a shuffling
jazz
/fusion rhythmic pattern;
's
"It Needn't End in Tears"
is a stately
ballad
spotlighting the saxophonist's lyrical playing, and
"All Heaven Broke Loose"
lives up to its title with a sensitive intro and explosive buildup.
' brooding, seven-minute
"Candles Still Flicker in Romania's Dark"
is the official finale, but its subtitled, 11-minute part two (
"Bridge of Inhibition"
) provides the exhilarating climax.
's chordal patterns sound practically symphonic amid this epic's starts and stops -- further proof of the originality of one of the most musical drummers of all-time. Like all great live releases,
makes you wish you had been there. ~ Bill Meredith