[main] He Knows Of What He Speaks

I'm thrilled to have found Bill Bruford's blog, because stuff like this is just wonderfully inspiring. So many great passages to choose from, but I'll tease it with this:

Ideally the music is dictating what it is that should be played on the kit, not the other way round. In other words, what the drummer is playing is (should be) a direct function of the music's requirements; no more, no less. You exist to serve the music, not the reverse. So, super-imposing your latest lick at every possible moment only serves to attract attention, usually unwisely, to yourself, and away from the music.

Ooh, ooh, and another one:

Personally, I believe the art is to conceal the art, so I try to move in the opposite direction - maximum economy of movement, minimum of fuss. Understatement, elegance, economy. You know, that British thing!