Bill Bruford’s Earthworks - The Wooden Man Sings And The Stone Woman Dances (Paderborn 16 May, 2005)

Last time we posted something from this concert in Paderborn, Germany was months back at the very beginning of the new year 2023. And yet it’s one of my favourite (over-lit) representations of the last Earthworks. Surely this 9/4 (9/8) faintly eastern European theme could make even a wooden man or a stone woman leap, dance or sing? Well, their hearts at least, if not their bodies? The strong pulse coming from the audience at 4’00” makes a fine backdrop for the manic-dervish soprano, and all goes well until the bass and drums decide it’s time (at 4’17”) to re-introduce a staccato version of the opening melody. Several fast moving rhythms just about avoid a train wreck, and we reach the downbeat at 4’34” with a sigh of relief. Well, I did, anyway. Are there any wrong notes in jazz? Not really. Depends on the other notes (i.e. the harmony) surrounding the questionable note. Another way of looking at it came allegedly from Miles Davis “It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note - it’s t