All Heaven Broke Loose in Bloomington, MN

The music of
Bill Bruford's
Earthworks
on this CD is quite unusual. The multi-themed originals feature top-notch playing by the quartet (
Bruford
on drums and electronic percussion,
Django Bates
on keyboards, peck horn and trumpet,
Iain Ballamy
on reeds and bassist
Tim Harries
) that looks toward
Ornette Coleman
; at times (
Ballamy's
tenor sometimes recalls
Dewey Redman
) while traveling its own singular path. Full of unpredictability, subtle mood changes, touches of eccentric funk and a surprisingly creative use of electronic rhythms here and there,
Bruford's
band plays intense but sometimes melancholy and introspective music. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow