Billy Cobham is inarguably one of the most legendary powerhouse jazz fusion drummers of all-time. Born in Panama in 1944, his family immigrated to New York City when he was age three. He is a true wonder and the one who is most considered the Gold Standard of drummers in the jazz fusion genre. Now at 81 years young, he is turning back the clock 50 years leading behind the drum kit by reuniting Dreams band musical legends from the early 70s with an incendiary string of concerts which culminated at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village in March.
In 2001, after naming Cobham one of the 25 Most Influential Drummers, Modern Drummer magazine wrote, “Although there are many all-time greats, Billy Cobham is one of the very few who can truly be called a pivotal drummer in music history. He changed the way we set-up our drums and cymbals, he changed the way we play them, and he changed the way we play music. And he’s still out there doing it.”
Billy Cobham’s Time Machine
On trumpet was the great Randy Brecker, who was a member of Cobham’s original jazz-rock Dreams band. Standing on bass was “Uncle” Will Lee, as deferentially referred to by musicians and fans as the consummate electric bassist most well-known for his 35+ years of continuous service alongside Paul Schaffer of David Letterman’s Late Show Band, a.k.a. the “World’s Most Dangerous Band.”
Lee who is now 72 was called out of music school class in New York City by Randy Brecker to audition for Dreams in 1971. He had recently turned 18. To round out the current band was an illustrious list of world-class musicians, with Ozzy Ezzeldin on electric piano and keyboards, Marshall Gilkes on trombone, and Brandon Wilkens on tenor saxophone.
Bringing Back his Music after 50 Years
Cobham explained his motivation in bringing this great music and band back together after over one half century. “I asked myself what would happen if I brought back the music from that time and performed it with the greatest musicians from this time? What would happen this time if we did this again with “them?” The dynamic naturally will change. It’s still a work in progress and it’s interesting.”
Make no mistake. It was utterly a complete and commanding Blue Note performance by great contemporary 21st century musicians playing incredible 20th century music. The band started the set with Cobham’s powerful driving rhythmic opener Panhandler off of his 1975 studio album A Funky Thide of Sings, and this got everyone movin’ and groovin’. As with most of his compositions, Cobham was also the producer and arranger of this recording.
Things only got better after that. Throughout the driving one hour twenty minute set, Cobham pulled out other fusion classics such as Stratus, Bombay Chill, To the Women in My Life, A Little Travelin’ Music, Moon Germs, and the upbeat 70’s jazz funk Tinseltown. He closed the show with Red Baron, his most popular tune on Spotify, off his 1973 groundbreaking Spectrum debut solo album.
Cobham’s Significant Contributions to Jazz, Funk, and Fusion Music
Cobham is generally acclaimed as fusion’s greatest drummer. His groundbreaking efforts with Miles Davis and the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the late 60s and early 70s are considered some of the genre’s most important early jazz fusion recordings. Players have long marveled at Cobham’s explosive technique; he was one of the early progenitors of double bass playing and later became an accomplished bandleader in his own right. AllMusic journalist Steve Huey has stated, “At his best, Cobham harnessed his amazing dexterity into thundering, high-octane hybrids of jazz complexity and rock & roll aggression.”
Cobham’s influence on modern drumming has stretched far beyond jazz and fusion music. He played a significant role in influencing his progressive rock contemporaries Bill Bruford of King Crimson, and later ones like Danny Carey of Tool. Prince and Jeff Beck played a version of Cobham’s Stratus in concert, while his former guitarist the great John Scofield performed a gritty version in collaboration with Warren Haynes of Gov’t. Mule in 2015. Phil Collins once named the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s The Inner Mounting Flame as a key influence on his early style, claiming, “Billy Cobham played some of the finest drumming I’ve ever heard on that record.”
Beyond Pure Virtuosity: Cobham the Great Composer
Cobham has the ability to write moving, harmonically rich compositions by approaching writing from a rhythm instrument. This is definitely one of the rarest traits in music, as it is unnatural for a musician coming from mostly a rhythmic instrument perspective to write great harmonies and melodies. Such great writers have predominantly proliferated from growing up playing harmony and melody-based instruments, like pianists and guitarists.
Cobham demonstrated how many rhythmic patterns played on a percussion instrument will imply harmonies and melodies. In addition, drums are not solely a rhythm instrument. Depending on the quality of equipment you own, and the way the top and bottom drum heads are tuned on each drum, you will be able to hear and discern specific melodies when you strike them. He also mentioned precedent, citing the prolific compositional works of the great jazz drummer Louie Belson.
Since 1985, Cobham has lived in Switzerland. He will be touring and performing throughout Europe at major jazz festivals this year. For Billy Cobham’s Time Machine tour dates, visit ticketmaster.com/billy-cobham-tickets/artist/768063
Read this article on the great drummer Billy Cobham where I originally wrote it in The Village View:
Kaju Roberto is an accomplished musician, singer/ songwriter, journalist, and an award-winning producer. He is the artist Rad Jet on Spotify.