Bruford - Borstlap - Prologue (Bruford - Borstlap - In Concert In Holland, 2004)

This takes its time to get going, a little like two boxers who’ve never fought before, eyeing each other warily across the ring. That image was captured quite well in the shape of two (pretend) judo exponents sparring on the cover of the 1985 album ‘Flags’, being myself and pianist Patrick Moraz. The music here covers a lot of ground: the repetitive and static opening, the violently rhythmic, the lyrical and impressionistic, the dying embers of the unaccompanied piano ending. It has form, which of course the drummer can do much to shape, a bit like the potter at her wheel watching the shape of the pot emerge from small movements of fingers and hands. Not too shabby for the first time we’d ever played together. We drummers, aided and encouraged by YouTube, tend to spend too much time learning to play alone and out of context. My preferred context remains, of course, with other human beings in real time. But even if you hate that idea, and want no more than to stay home with your kit and produce tracks, soo