Billy Cobham

I think what attracted me to Billy's playing initially was that he hits the drums very hard and with authority. I'm a Metal/Rock drummer, and most of my favorite players (John Bonham, Dave Lombardo, Dave Grohl, Tomas Haake) have a very powerful style which attracted me to the drums in the first place. Billy was the first Jazz drummer who I saw really pounding his drums, with a whole lot of groove and musicality to boot! Inner Mounting Flame ranks as one of my favorite albums drum-wise because of how dynamic Billy is throughout (he has one of the largest dynamic ranges I've ever heard). "Meeting of the Spirits" and "Vital Transformation" were life-changing listens for me.

Anyone want to recommend to me other records with Billy on them that I need to add to my collection? Birds Of Fire and Spectrum are coming soon, but anyone else have any favorites that I should check out? Thanks.
 
Crosswinds is one of my all-time favorites. Shabazz is a live album with the Brecker Bros at Montreaux that also kicks some serious ass.

Mahavishnu's Bungled Sunspray Demise has some fantastic (in the true sense of the word) playing although it wasn't finished.

I like the videos on this fan page for Billy...

http://www.drumminfool.com/billy_cobham_video_clips.htm

Also, since you like heavy hitting jazz/rock drummers, I also recommend checking out Narada Michael Walden (especially on Visions of the Emerald Beyond as well as Alphonse Mouzon.
 
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Crosswinds is one of my all-time favorites. Shabazz is a live album with the Brecker Bros at Montreaux that also kicks some serious ass.

Mahavishnu's Bungled Sunspray Demise has some fantastic (in the true sense of the word) playing although it wasn't finished.

I like the videos on this fan page for Billy...

http://www.drumminfool.com/billy_cobham_video_clips.htm

Also, since you like heavy hitting jazz/rock drummers, I also recommend checking out Narada Michael Walden (especially on Visions of the Emerald Beyond as well as Alphonse Mouzon.

Thanks! I'll check everything you just posted out. I really appreciate it!
 
My first Cobham listen, before anything he did with Mahavishnu, was the Best Of Billy Cobham. Tunes like Red Baron, Pleasant Pheasant and Quadrant 4 are groovin' and the excitement is off the charts. Stratus is the tune that turned my head around. One of my favorites of the genre to this day. And those hertas around the toms are unplayable at that tempo, no idea how he does it.
 
Good Thread,

Billy Cobham is the reason I play drums.

I used to listen to Spectrum when I was about 2-3 years old as my dad had it, and I was hooked on the whole album...this was 1975-6...and used to drum along to it....or try at the time.......by the time I was about 6-7 I was pretty much able to the play the groove from the title track.....and still I think his best song ever....

I grew up wanting to be as good as him one day.......so 38 years later and 'some chance!'

I think he's second only to Buddy Rich....but it's a close thing in my eyes....
 
Greetings fellow Cobham enthusiasts! If you haven't heard, we are now accepting students from all over the world at the Billy Cobham School of Drums!!! He's teaching his complete drum method, everything from holding the sticks and snare rudiments to playing professionally (and everything in between). The best part is being able to submit videos for Billy to review. He'll watch you play and then send you a video on what you should be doing to improve. You can ask him questions at any time and watch the videos as many times as you need... it's like having Billy Cobham as your personal teacher, and because it's all online you won't need to travel to Switzerland!

Check out this youtube promo for a "behind the scenes" look.

Love this quote:

"I'm not trying to play into the drum, I'm trying to draw the sound out of the drum." - Billy Cobham
 
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Ok, when are they going to tour the New York or Washington DC area? I would really like to see that show.
 
Ok, sorry for the previous post, I just noticed it was done in 1994.
 
I'm just starting to dig more into BC's playing. I've got mates who are really into the kind of stuff the Dillinger Escape Plan drummer/s played, a lot of it revolves around a fast roll between the snare and kick, with the snare leading. I know Billy has done this decades ago but I'd like to find a few tracks that feature it. Can anyone suggest something?

Here's a (loud) video that shows what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRwRaWzDiJs
 
As a huge Billy fan, I was inspired to put together a tribute thing for him. I posted 30minutes of Billy solos on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hzjk_xBMiw

... and created a 2.5 hour long DVD of Billy moments that is available here:
http://www.hungercity.org/details.php?id=15870
It might not be very active, but If you ask you can probably find a seeder there.
BCscreencaps.jpg

Duration: 2:21:52
Data Size: 3.95 GB
Bit Rate: 3.99 Mbps
Total Folder Size: 4.56 GB

Video Tracks:
224 MPEG-2, 720 × 480, 4:3, 29.97 fps, 7.50 Mbps, lower field first

Audio Tracks:
128 AC3 2/0, 48 kHz, 192 kbps

**Horace Silver Quintet**
Jazz Omkring Midnat
Denmark TV 1968
TV > VHS > ? > DVD > FCP > DVDSP

**Mahavishnu Orchestra**
Munchen, Germny,
Olympia Jazz
August 17, 1972
TV > VHS > ? > DVD > FCP > DVDSP

Chateauvallon, France
August 23, 1972
Pro Shot > pre-broadcast tapes > ? > DVDR > FCP > DVDSP

BBC
August 25, 1972
TV > VHS > ? > DVD > FCP > DVDSP

Bananafish Garden
Brooklyn, New York
March 15, 1973
TV >PC(canopus..advc) > DVDTV > FCP > DVDSP

**Billy Cobham Band**
Kongsberg Jazz Festival
Kongsberg, Norway
June 23, 1974
TV > VHS > ? > DVD-RTV > VHS > DVD > FCP > DVDSP

Montreux, Switzerland
July 4, 1974
TV > VHS > ? > DVD-R > FCP > DVDSP

London
Rainbow Theater
July 13, 1974
TV > VHS > ? > DVD-R > FCP > DVDSP

**Billy Cobham / George Duke Band**
Montreux, Switzerland
July 6, 1976
Satellite Tv > Sony DVD-Recorder RDR-HX900 > DVD > FCP > DVDSP


**BILLY COBHAM'S GLASS MENAGERIE**
Montreux, Switzerland
July 23, 1982
TV > VHS > ? > DVD-R > FCP > DVDSP

Clinic
Orlando
1985
Handheld on tripod > VHS > ? > DVD > FCP > DVDSP
 
Here is another Billy Cobham torrent I uploaded that is still readily available:
http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93840
Screenshot2011-10-07at121626PM.png

Duration: 0:34:31
Data Size: 1.18 GB
Bit Rate: 4.91 Mbps

Tv > Unknown Gen VHS > Standalone > MPEG Video Wizard > DVD

Video Tracks:
224 MPEG-2, 720 × 576, 4:3, 25 fps, 7.00 Mbps, upper field first

Audio Tracks:
128 AC3 2/0, 48 kHz, 256 kbps

An Old Grey Whistle Test episode from 1975 featuring Billy Cobham's Band recorded at the Rainbow Theater on July 13, 1974. Great filming and great performances. Audio quality is excellent. There is an occasional shake/shimmy in the video and a couple of very brief drop-outs. Other than that this looks to be only a generation or 2 from master/broadcast quality. My only complaint is that its only 2 tunes . . . But these 2 are MONSTERS!

Adequate menu and chapters for both songs.

Shabazz
Tenth Pin

Billy Cobham: Drums
John Abercrombie: Guitar
Michael Brecker: Tenor Saxophone
Randy Brecker: Trumpet
Glen Ferris: Trombone
Alex Blake: Bass
Milcho Leview: Keyboards
 
Had the great pleasure of seeing Billy last night at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.
The man is simply a phenomenon. His touch on the drums is incredible, his sense of groove, his jaw-dropping precision-- wow!

It's simply amazing that he is 70 years old and still plays the same as he ever did. The man is an icon. GO SEE the Spectrum 40th Anniversery tour, you won't regret it. Also onstage were Gary Husband on keys, and Jerry Goodman from Mahavishnu Orchestra on violin.
 
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