I’m a lucky music fan. Ever since I started going to shows back in 1991, I’ve been able to see every artist I’d hoped to.
Except for two.
The first was James Brown, and the kicker was that I had tickets to see him outside Toronto when he passed away just two weeks before the gig. As you can imagine, I did not feel good.
The other musician on my list of artists I never had the chance to see was drummer Bill Bruford, he of Yes and King Crimson fame. I wasn’t a fan of Yes when the band came through town back in the spring of 1991 with its short-lived 8-man lineup, which included Bruford. A few years later, when he was a member of the double trio King Crimson line-up, I had recently developed a debilitating case of tinnitus and wasn’t able to go to shows. Bruford retired from music in 2009, and while I was able to be in the same room with him when Yes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the drummer didn’t play with his former bandmates.
Surprisingly, Bill Bruford wound up coming out of retirement in 2022, forming The Pete Roth Trio, a jazz group with guitarist Pete Roth, his former drum tech, and bassist Mike Pratt. Far from the arenas and larger theatres he formally played with Yes and King Crimson, The Pete Roth Trio took to smaller spaces, gaining raves along the way for their interplay.
When I spoke to Bill in 2024 about The Best of Bill Bruford and King Crimson’s Red reissue, we also discussed his return to live music. It was unlikely that The Pete Roth Trio would be coming to Toronto, was the subtle implication. Luckily, things change.
On Wednesday, May 27, a true dream came true for me when I saw Bill Bruford play the drums on stage as The Pete Roth Trio hit the TD Music Hall above the legendary Massey Hall. This was an intimate experience, featuring a respectful crowd taking in music most of us had never heard before. It was clear from the large amount of King Crimson shirts in the crowd that the group (including bassist Stefan Redtenbacher, standing in for Mike Pratt) was among the Bruford faithful. However, on stage, The Pete Roth Trip is a band of equals, clearly loving the opportunity to improvise and have musical conversations. It’s an interesting experience, going to a concert knowing none of the music being performed (though I did recognize the melody line of Gershwin’s “Summertime” that Roth quoted) and still finding yourself utterly engaged. I credit that to the palpable joy that came across from the musicians.
I would say, I did feel that there were many moments of what I can only call Crimson-esque explorations. Though not as heavy as any of the line-ups Bill Bruford was part of, I felt as though the music was guiding the players into interesting, unexpected territory, and that’s what some of the best King Crimson music did as well. As for seeing Bill live, I go back to the feeling of it being a dream come true. His playing was smooth, subtle, powerful, whatever the music called for. He was just as fantastic as you’d think. Seeing him after 35 years of being a fan was well worth the wait.
The Pete Roth Trio is currently on a short tour around Ontario and Quebec. If you’re in the area and a fan of Bill Bruford, heading to a show is a no-brainer. The band then have gigs in the UK beginning June 4. You can find all you need to know about The Pete Roth Trio at their website.
