Billy Cobham

Billy Cobham, born May 16 1944 in Panama, is one of the world's best and most influential drummers, best known for his jazz fusion in the 1970s, with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, where he pioneered a powerful style of drumming with rock and funk influences.

Related Topics:
May 16 - 1944 - Jazz fusion - John McLaughlin - Mahavishnu Orchestra - Rock - Funk

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He is the first drummer to unseat Buddy Rich in the Downbeat music polls.

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Cobham has played and recorded with hundreds of top musicians, including Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Larry Coryell, and Horace Silver; and is famous for his explosive, fast, spectacular playing.

Related Topics:
Miles Davis - Freddie Hubbard - Larry Coryell - Horace Silver

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He has been sampled, most famously by Massive Attack in their tune "Safe from Harm", centred on the beat and bassline of Cobham's "Stratus", from his debut album Spectrum.

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Prior to his emergence with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham worked with Horace Silver in 1968, then with Miles Davis, on classic recordings like Bitches Brew, Live-Evil and A Tribute to Jack Johnson. The preface to his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was his work on John McLaughlin's album My Goal's Beyond. 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,

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whilst still with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham recorded his first solo album Spectrum, with musicians including Jan Hammer, from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Tommy Bolin, a rock/blues guitarist who later played with heavy rock band Deep Purple. Just before the Mahavishnu Orchestra's last touring leg, in late 1973, Cobham recorded and toured with

Related Topics:
Jan Hammer - Tommy Bolin - Deep Purple

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Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, in concerts which featured material from their album Love Devotion Surrender, and Cobham's own material. Another interesting note,is that in 1980, he also worked with Jack Bruce. This band was under the name, Jack Bruce & Friends.

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A number of solo albums followed (as of July 2005, Cobham has released over 30 recordings under his own name), and Cobham continues as a recording artist and musical educator to this day. A complete discography can be found at Cobham's own homepage.

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