Flags
	Produced by Patrick Moraz and Bill Bruford
	Released on 1985
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
EGLP 63 cover [high resolution scan]

T he second and last album from Moraz and Bruford, seeing as how the pair had plumbed their musical possibilities after two albums of improvisational jazz. Flags is probably the better of the two efforts. I say “probably” because my slightly more favorable disposition to Flags could simply be the result of well-tempered expectations. Music For Piano And Drums was somewhat unexpected: a dry and academic approach to the music that Moraz and Bruford were making on their own. Coming from the perspective of this Music, I’m more likely to salute Flags as a successful fusion of their individual styles in a ready-made jazz mold. Moraz still sounds like a poor man’s Chick Corea: Latin themes, lots of notes, a surfeit of synthetic sounds some of the time. Bruford gets in better beats this time, so that the pair remain on equal footing. Highlights include “Karu,” in which Moraz does a very good Vangelis impersonation, and the closing “Everything You’ve Heard Is True.” When listening to Flags (and the earlier Music), I’m apt to think my time would be better spent in the company of Wakeman, or especially sailing the solo catalog of Bruford. One of a Kind and Gradually Going Tornado are far more fun; even the moody Earthworks stuff has more to capture the imagination. Flags is best left to well-heeled wonderers who don’t mind spending $20 (and forty minutes) to answer the musical question: What are Bruford and Moraz up to now? Otherwise, you’d really need to buy into the idea that Moraz and Bruford are capable of frequent, spontaneous jazz genius to pledge any kind of allegiance to this album.

TRACK LISTING

1. TEMPLES OF JOY    (Patrick Moraz)    4:51
2. SPLIT SECONDS    (Patrick Moraz/Bill Bruford)    4:37
3. KARU    (Patrick Moraz)    3:45
4. IMPROMPTU, TOO!    (Patrick Moraz)    3:30
5. FLAGS    (Patrick Moraz)    4:27
6. MACHINES PROGRAMMED BY GENES    (Patrick Moraz/Bill Bruford)    5:13
7. THE DRUM ALSO WALTZEZ    (Max Roach)    2:51
8. INFRA DIG    (Patrick Moraz/Bill Bruford)    3:12
9. A WAY WITH WORDS    (Patrick Moraz/Bill Bruford)    1:36
10. EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD IS TRUE    (Patrick Moraz/Bill Bruford)    6:09
    
    CD reissue bonus tracks
    
11. EASTERN SUNDAYS
12. CHILDREN'S CONCERTO
13. GALATEA

CREDITS

BILL BRUFORD -- acoustic and electronic drums and percussion
PATRICK MORAZ -- Steinway D Concert Grand, Kurzweil 250, themes and arrangement
Barry Radman -- engineer, mixing
Jean Ristori -- engineer
Errol Maibach -- technical assistance
Rob O'Connor for Stylo Rouge -- design and art direction
Gered Mankowitz -- photography

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