While the music made by
Bill Bruford's earlier
Earthworks band was consistently more interesting, his current lineup continues to make great strides given its more traditional stance (post-bop acoustic piano/saxophone quartet verses ultra-modern Euro-jazz fusion). On the live
Footloose and Fancy Free, the group exceeds its own studio performances with room to spare. The lovely ballad "Come to Dust" is a fine showcase for pianist Steve Hamilton, and Bruford's punchy drumming moves a complex "Triplicity." Even non-Earthworks tunes from Bruford's late-'90s collaborations with Tony Levin ("Original Sin") and Ralph Towner ("If Summer Had Its Ghosts") get inspiring interpretations as well, thanks to the well-seasoned playing of both tenor/alto saxophonist Patrick Calahar and Hamilton.
- Patrick Clahar — tenor and soprano saxophones
- Steve Hamilton — piano
- Mark Hodgson — bass
- Bill Bruford — drums
Disk 01:
01. Revel Without A Pause (8:43)
02. Never The Same Way Once (10:16)
03. Original Sin (7:49)
04. Cloud Cuckoo Land (8:08)
05. Dewey-eyed, Then Dancing (6:33)
06. The Emperor's New Clothes (7:46)
07. Bridge Of Inhibition (11:30)
Disk 02:
01. Footloose And Fancy Free (9:01)
02. If Summer Had Its Ghosts (8:29)
03. A Part, And Yet Apart (10:26)
04. Triplicity (7:40)
05. Come To Dust (10:53)
06. No Truce With The Furies (6:56)
07. The Wooden Man Sings, And The Stone Woman Dances (3:45)
