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Billy Cobham
Next came a band that could have gone on to much greater heights, Dreams, which saw Billy uniting with Randy and Michael Brecker. The Mahavishnu Orchestra, however, overshadowed the moderate success of that group, in 1971. The combination of Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman and Rick Laird was lethal. In Mahavishnu, arguably more than in any other in his long list of credits, Cobham set new standards for drum set performance, bending and redirecting common time grooves into uncommon time signatures. Albums such as Inner Mounting Flame became classics and many of today's name drummers cite them and Billy's performance as the reason they took up the drum set. Credited as a major proponent of new "fusion" music, a genre that combined stadium sensibilities with nightclub sensitivities, Billy Cobham contributed new vistas of power and complexity. Cobham released solo albums throughout the seventies and eighties, collaborating with top ranking artists such as George Duke, Tony Williams, the Grateful Dead and, into the nineties; with the unit Jazz is Dead, among many others. A performer and producer of the acclaimed WOMAD festival, an advocate for the rights of third world children, and a member of diverse musical units, in particular the Cuban group Asere, Billy is arguably more vibrant, more creative than ever. Perhaps it comes down to two decades of life in Switzerland or perhaps it is the consistently lofty level of the musical company he keeps but Billy has never felt compelled to pander to mass consumed pop music. At the time of Cobham's debut on the New York scene, and, as many claim, to this day, Billy's been in a one-horse race. Rock drummers admire at Billy's power but have trouble with his incredible soft volume levels ones he executes with the ease of a classical timpanist. And jazz players share some of his improvisational flourish but falter beyond mezzo forte. To top it all, Cobham showed early on that he could play straight-ahead bop/jazz at so-called "breakneck" tempos without drawing a bead of sweat. In clinics today he mesmerizes crowds, while on the bandstand he's on fire. His appeal is not show but substance although undoubtedly he is breathtaking to watch. He has single-handedly lured countless thousands of youths to the drums. Cobham, whether playing for a gathering of fledgling drummers, collaborating with peers such as Terry Bozzio or touring with Spectrum, is the personification of excellence. For more infomation on Billy Cobham, please visit his website.
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Born
in Panama, Billy made waves following a move to New York. A tour of military
duty provided a forum for teaching and honing his expertise in the standard
drum rudiments. When he took up as a civilian player, Billy became the
talk of the town for his electrifying performances with Horace Silver.