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William C. Cobham (born May 16 1944 in Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
), is a Panamanian American
Panamanian American

A Panamanian American is any United States citizen or resident who traces his or her ancestry to the Central American nation of Panama.In the 2006 American Community Survey, Panamanian Americans were estimated at 123,631....
 jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 drummer
Drummer

A drummer is a musician who plays a drum or drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays Classical music or Latin percussion....
, composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
 and bandleader
Bandleader

A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
.

Coming to prominence in the late 1960s and early '70s with trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
 and then with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham is, in the words of critic Steve Huey, "generally acclaimed as fusion's
Jazz fusion

Fusion or, more specifically, jazz fusion or jazz rock, is a musical genre that merges jazz with elements of other styles of music, particularly funk, Rock and roll, R&B, electronic music, and world music, but also pop music, classical music, and folk music, or sometimes even Heavy metal music, reggae, ska, country music, hip hop...
 greatest drummer, "and one of the best in the world" with an influential style that combines explosive power and exacting precision.

in Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
, Cobham's family moved to New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 during his early childhood.






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William C. Cobham (born May 16 1944 in Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
), is a Panamanian American
Panamanian American

A Panamanian American is any United States citizen or resident who traces his or her ancestry to the Central American nation of Panama.In the 2006 American Community Survey, Panamanian Americans were estimated at 123,631....
 jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 drummer
Drummer

A drummer is a musician who plays a drum or drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays Classical music or Latin percussion....
, composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
 and bandleader
Bandleader

A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
.

Coming to prominence in the late 1960s and early '70s with trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
 and then with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham is, in the words of critic Steve Huey, "generally acclaimed as fusion's
Jazz fusion

Fusion or, more specifically, jazz fusion or jazz rock, is a musical genre that merges jazz with elements of other styles of music, particularly funk, Rock and roll, R&B, electronic music, and world music, but also pop music, classical music, and folk music, or sometimes even Heavy metal music, reggae, ska, country music, hip hop...
 greatest drummer, "and one of the best in the world" with an influential style that combines explosive power and exacting precision.

Biography


Early life and career

Born in Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
, Cobham's family moved to New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 during his early childhood. A drummer from his youth, Cobham attended New York's High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1962.

He played in a U.S. Army Band from 1965 to 1968. Following his discharge, Cobham joined the group of pianist Horace Silver
Horace Silver

Horace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer. His father, who was known as John Tavares Silva, was from the island of Maio, Cape Verde in Cape Verde....
 for about a year, also playing or recording with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine

Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophone....
, organist Shirley Scott
Shirley Scott

Shirley Scott was a hard bop and soul-jazz organist....
, and guitarist George Benson
George Benson

George Benson is an American musician, whose recording career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist. He is however, better known to the public at large as a Pop music and R&B singer, famous for such hits as "Give Me the Night", "Lady Love Me ", "Turn Your Love Around", "Inside Love", "In Your Eyes", and "This Masquerade", among...
.

Jazz fusion work

Billy Cobham 1974 Gh
Cobham branched out to jazz fusion
Jazz fusion

Fusion or, more specifically, jazz fusion or jazz rock, is a musical genre that merges jazz with elements of other styles of music, particularly funk, Rock and roll, R&B, electronic music, and world music, but also pop music, classical music, and folk music, or sometimes even Heavy metal music, reggae, ska, country music, hip hop...
, which blended elements of jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, rock and roll
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
 and funk
Funk

Funk is an United States Music genre that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music....
, playing with the Brecker Brothers
Brecker Brothers

The Brecker Brothers was the music duet of Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker , who sound recording and reproduction commercially successful jazz fusion albums together in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s....
 and guitarist John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie (guitarist)

John Abercrombie is an USA jazz guitarist. Aside from his solo work he is known for his work with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette and the Brecker Brothers....
 before recording and touring extensively with trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
. Cobham's work with Davis appears on Live-Evil
Live-Evil

Live-Evil is an album by Miles Davis, part of which was recorded live at The Cellar Door on December 19, 1970, and part of which was recorded in Columbia Records's Studio B, with different personnel on February 6, June 3, 4, 1970....
 and A Tribute to Jack Johnson
A Tribute to Jack Johnson

A Tribute to Jack Johnson is a studio album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1971 in the United States and in 1970 in Canada on Columbia Records....
, among other recordings. Cobham is also one of the first drummers to play open handed lead: a drummer that can lead (or ride) with either hand and begin or end a beat or fill with either hand (most drummers lead with 1 hand). He was also one of the first drummers to play with 3 or more snare and/or bass drums and multiple hi-hats.

The preface to his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was his work on guitarist John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)

John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an England jazz fusion guitarist and composer. He played with Tony Williams's group The Tony Williams Lifetime and then with Miles Davis on his landmark electric jazz-fusion albums In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew. His 1970s electric band, Mahavishnu Orchestra, perfo...
's album My Goal's Beyond
My Goal's Beyond

My Goal's Beyond is the third solo album of John McLaughlin. The music is strongly influenced by music of India, and was dedicated to McLaughlin's spiritual leader, Indian guru Sri Chinmoy....
.

In 1971, with fellow Davis alumnus McLaughlin , Cobham co-founded Mahavishnu Orchestra, a definitive jazz fusion ensemble. Cobham toured extensively from 1971 to 1973 with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, who released two studio albums and one live album. The original studio versions of tunes on the live album were later released as The Lost Trident Sessions in 1999.

In May 1973, while still with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham recorded his first solo album Spectrum, one of the finest fusion albums of all time, with musicians including keyboardist Jan Hammer
Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. His compositions have won him several Grammy awards. He is probably best known for playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 70s, as well as his "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s United States of America television program, Miami Vice....
, from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and guitarist Tommy Bolin
Tommy Bolin

Thomas Richard 'Tommy' Bolin was an American-born guitarist best known for his work with Zephyr , The James Gang , Deep Purple , and his solo work....
, who later played with heavy rock band Deep Purple
Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English Rock music band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of Heavy metal music and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorize themselves as any one genre....
. Just before the Mahavishnu Orchestra's last touring leg, in late 1973, Cobham recorded and toured with guitarists Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana

Carlos Augusto Santana Alves is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American Rock music musician and guitarist. He became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana , which created a highly successful blend of rock music, salsa music, and jazz fusion....
 and John McLaughlin, in concerts which featured material from their album Love Devotion Surrender, and Cobham's own material.

In the 1970s, Cobham recorded extensively for the fusion-oriented CTI Records
CTI Records

CTI Records was a jazz record label founded in 1967 in music by Creed Taylor, initially as a subsidiary of A&M Records....
, founded by producer Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor

Creed Taylor is an United States record producer. He is the founder of two jazz record labels, Impulse! Records and CTI Records. He was also a producer of note at Verve Records and is widely acknowledged for bringing major bossa nova talent from Brazil to record in the U.S....
.

1980s work and later

In 1980, he worked with Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce

John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scotland musician, musical composer and singer. He is best-known as an electric bass guitarist, harmonica player and piano, and was most famous as a vocalist and the bass guitarist for the 1960s rock band Cream ....
, in a band called Jack Bruce & Friends. In 1994, he joined an all-star cast at the Greek Theatre (in LA) and the results appeared on Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke is an United States jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores....
, Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton

Larry Carlton is an United States jazz fusion, Pop music, and rock music guitarist and a singer, dividing his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands....
, Billy Cobham, Najee
Najee

Jerome Najee Rasheed born in New York, NY is a Jazz/Smooth Jazz artist.He was a member of Chaka Khan's band in 1983, . In addition to all the saxophones , Najee also plays flute, and keyboards....
 and Deron Johnson
Deron Johnson

Deron Roger Johnson was an United States infielder, outfielder, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. Born in San Diego, California, he played for the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers during his 15-year major league...
 LIVE AT THE GREEK. The concert was predominantly Clarke's music but all the musicians contributed material.

A number of solo albums followed (as of July 2005, Cobham has released over 30 recordings under his own name), and continues to record, perform and teach.

In 2006, Cobham released Drum n voice 2. This was a return to the 1970s jazz-funk sound, with guests such as: Jan Hammer
Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. His compositions have won him several Grammy awards. He is probably best known for playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 70s, as well as his "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s United States of America television program, Miami Vice....
, Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles

George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an United States rock music and funk music drummer, most known as a member of Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970....
, John Patitucci
John Patitucci

John Patitucci is an United States Grammy Award nominated jazz double bass and bass guitar player, specializing in post-bop, jazz fusion and Brazilian jazz....
, Jeff Berlin
Jeff Berlin

Jeff Berlin is an American bass guitar player. Since the mid-1970s, he has been known for his virtuosic jazz fusion and progressive rock bass playing....
, Dominic Miller
Dominic Miller

Dominic Miller is an England guitarist.Born in Buenos Aires in 1960, he spent the first ten years of his life growing up in Argentina before embarking on a journey northwards to Wisconsin, North America, where he notably attended The Prairie School before moving again to London, England two years later....
, Mike Lindup
Mike Lindup

Mike Lindup is best known as the keyboard instrument player and falsetto human voice singer, who joined with Mark King and others to form the 1980s - 1990s United Kingdom funk/rock music/pop music band , Level 42....
, Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira is a Brazilian Jazz drummer, percussionist and musician. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer....
, Frank Gambale, Brian Auger
Brian Auger

Brian Auger , is a jazz and rock and roll keyboardist, who has specialized in playing the Hammond organ.A jazz pianist, bandleader, session musician and Hammond B3 player, Auger has played or toured with musician such as Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Boy Williamson, Led Zeppelin, Eric Burdon and others....
, Guy Barker and the band Novecento. The CD was produced and arranged by Pino and Lino Nicolosi for Nicolosi productions.

Billy was announced as a patron and visiting artist of top London drum college Drumtech in June 2008.

Sampling

He has been sampled by Massive Attack
Massive Attack

Massive Attack are a United Kingdom trip hop group, founded in 1988 by Robert Del Naja, Daddy G, and Andrew Vowles in Bristol, England. The trio were together prior to the formation of this band, as part of The Wild Bunch ....
 in their tune "Safe from Harm", centered on the beat and bassline of Cobham's "Stratus", from his debut album Spectrum
Spectrum (album)

Spectrum is the debut album of fusion drummer, Billy Cobham. Released in 1973, Spectrum is regarded as one of the most important and essential albums within the fields of drummers and the jazz fusion genre....
; by Souls of Mischief
Souls of Mischief

Souls of Mischief is an alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California, that is also part of the hip hop musical collective, Hieroglyphics ....
's "93 Til' Infinity", based on the bassline and keyboards of "Heather", from 1974's Crosswinds, and by DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow is an United States record producer, Disc jockey and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of Hip hop production and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed entirely from sampling ....
 on "Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain", which uses elements of "A Funky Kind of Thing" from 1975's A Funky Thide of Sings
A Funky Thide of Sings

A Funky Thide of Sings is a 1975 studio album by Billy Cobham....
. Cobham is also covered extensively by "hyperfunk" jam-band RAQ
RAQ

RAQ is a psychedelic rock, progressive rock rock music quartet from Burlington, Vermont, Vermont. Formed in 2000 with original keyboard player Marc Scortino, Raq released their first studio effort "Shed Tech" a year later....
 .

Discography


External links