If e'er anybody deserved a two-disc anthology of his offerings equally a solo creative mortal it's fusion drummer Billy Cobham. After making his stellar debut alongside John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham made viii records for Atlantic from 1973-1978. To varying degrees, these recordings were truthful statements on the the world of jazz-rock fusion. Many blame Cobham for beingness a fellow member of the technical-expertise-is-everything school, together with to a grade it may live true. But the tracks collected hither past times Barry Benson together with Nick Sahakian render prove of something else entirely: that along alongside technical expertise inwards spades, Cobham had soul, groove, together with a grip on how powerful stone & coil could contribute to jazz improvisation if harnessed inwards the correct way. And every unmarried runway on these 2 discs does just that together with more. For starters there's the bulk of Cobham's classic debut, Spectrum, that featured contributions from guitarists Tommy Bolin (speaking of stone & roll), John Scofield (as he has never been heard since), together with John Tropea equally good equally January Hammer from the Mahavishnu band. Spectrum's 2 finest tracks, "Quadrant 4" together with "Stratus," are screaming jazz-rock alongside but the correct hints of funk together with groove that would larn the hallmarks of Cobham's records afterwards that. Also on "Stratus" it's interesting to regime annotation that Cobham together with Frank Zappa were going for the same keyboard sounds simultaneously, together with non but sonics, but phrasing. The sounds were perchance derived from the 2 using the same session players including George Duke, the Brecker Brothers, together with Alfonso Johnson amidst others. All of disc i is pure gold; there's non a weak minute on it. And for that matter, disc 2 is solid equally well; it's but that past times the fourth dimension these sets were recorded, Cobham's musical focus had shifted from jazz-rock to jazz-funk. The same tom-tom rolls are there, the constant rim shifts, together with shaking, thunderous bass drum blasts together with pops. Because of the exhilaration on disc i what comes across clearer on the minute prepare is but how intricate together with compelling Cobham is equally a composer. These are scripted roles, alongside plenty of room for improvisation inwards the middle together with oftentimes at the start together with end; they are wonders of musical sophistication together with raw gritty funky soul. In add-on to almost 3 hours of crushingly innovative music, the liner notes are chock total of an extensive bio, critical, together with session notes, a few outtakes together with unreleased cuts together with a cool clear plastic slipcase. This prepare is a document from a classic fourth dimension inwards the development of both stone together with jazz, together with should live regarded equally an essential buy past times fans non only of Cobham's but Bolin's, Scofield's, Miles Davis' electrical era, the Breckers', together with of course of report Mahavishnu's. Zappa fans from the era would also appreciate much of the cloth here.
Cobham was i of the edifice blocks of jazz-rock fusion. By the fourth dimension he started his recording career inwards 1976, he had been business office of 3 of the most of import bands of the '70s, Miles Davis's groups, Dreams, together with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. H5N1 favorite of guitar players together with fans because of the way he drives the string players, his debut album, Spectrum, is pure jazz-rock (featuring the belatedly stone guitarist, Tommy Bolin, from the James Gang together with Deep Purple). Bolin's tracks are at the start of this 24-track, two-CD retrospective together with a really immature John Scofield, is featured on guitar at the cease of the CD. Back inwards the days earlier he joined Miles Davis, Scofield was business office of Cobham's band that he co-led alongside George Duke, together with of course, that band's funk classic, "Do What You Wanna" is included. In betwixt those bookends are stunning examples of what it agency to live a powerful drummer together with to drive a band. There are liberal samplings of Cobham's solos, equally good equally tracks alongside his grouping that featured his partners from Dreams, the Brecker Brothers. Fusion lovers can't buy the farm incorrect here, spell smooth-jazz folks could gain a amend appreciation of the roots of that genre.
The Good Book of fusion drumming, culled from a half-dozen years inwards the life of Billy Cobham. After serving inwards drum corps, the High School of Music together with Arts, together with the Army band, equally good equally gigging together with recording alongside Kenny Burrell, George Benson together with Junior Mance, Panamanian native Cobham was finally recommended past times Jack DeJohnette to Miles Davis inwards 1969. Things took off similar a bullet from there, together with presently plenty Cobham was firmly established equally the Hot New Thing inwards jazz-rock drumming. He was also noted equally a talented composer at the time.
Rudiments picks upward next his tenures alongside Miles, Dreams together with Mahavishnu Orchestra. Cobham debuted on Atlantic inwards 1973 alongside Spectrum together with a band that included Mahavishnu keyboardist January Hammer, session bassist Lee Sklar, together with immature guitar magician Tommy Bolin (who replaced Joe Walsh inwards the James Gang together with Ritchie Blackmore inwards Deep Purple). The foremost 5 tracks on Disc 1 are drawn from those sessions, together with they illustrate but what all the fuss over Cobham was about. His job of dual or triple bass drums presaged Alex Van Halen past times years; inwards fact, Cobham is an acknowledged influence on most 70s together with 80s hard-rock drummers. The hell-on-wheels “Quadrant 4” sets the footstep for much of this anthology. Bolin is to a greater extent than honestly blues-oriented than John McLaughlin was, together with this runway sets the blues caravan rolling downhill without brakes. The long, tense synth together with drums intro of “Stratus” collapses into a soulful, Zappa-ish guitar theme. The adjacent 3 tunes are of similar temperament.
The remaining 7 tracks of Disc 1 characteristic larger ensembles that include the Brecker Brothers together with guitarist John Abercrombie. Randy together with Mike Brecker poured to a greater extent than fuel on the Cobham fire, abetted past times trombonist Glenn Ferris together with keyboardists Milcho Leviev together with George Duke alternately. “Spanish Moss” together with “Flash Flood” are 2 sections of a tone poesy form powered past times Latin percussion together with urgent electrical piano. The “Solarization” suite, “Lunarputians”, “Moon Germs” together with “Solar Eclipse” (note Cobham’s preoccupation alongside things cosmic together with atmospheric) maintain the grand development of his pumped-up soul-funk-rock-jazz hybrid. The lastly runway is perchance the most dated of the bunch, rather similar a Rocky soundtrack edit.
Disc 2 continues the odyssey alongside similar personnel together with vibe. “Shabazz”, inspired non past times Malcolm X but a chain of bakeries, begins alongside some other thunderous drum solo together with ends upward inwards the same variety of groove equally much of the prior disc. Things took a heavier plough alongside H5N1 Funky Thide of Sings, his crossover striking of ’75 that ushered inwards John Scofield. The Breckers’ “Some Skunk Funk” upped the ante of ability fusion alongside its outstanding horn arrangement. “A Funky Thide...” has its roots inwards martial music equally much equally the funk. The next year, the horns were gone together with Cobham was dorsum to a quartet format. Scofield, bassist Doug Rauch together with keyboardist George Duke (under the pseudonym “Dawilli Gonga”) recorded Life & Times, from which tracks 6-8 are drawn. As hot equally the horn department was, the personnel reduction brings welcome breathing room for everyone to stretch out. Organist Allan Zavod makes an evocative invitee spot on the championship track, together with Scofield’s ain personality begins to emerge to a greater extent than fully.
Next are 3 tracks past times the Cobham/Duke Band, including Scofield over again together with bassist Alphonso Johnson. Duke’s personal aesthetic, filtered through his sense alongside Zappa, dominates these tracks but Cobham is non to live denied, peculiarly his double-bass peril on “Juicy”. The terminal track, “Arroyo”, marked the cease of Cobham’s Atlantic contract inwards 1978. It’s dorsum to the quartet again, alongside John Williams inwards house of Doug Rauch, together with the melancholy vibe of the runway indicates the closing of doors together with moving on.
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Tracks Listing:
Disc 1:
01. Quadrant iv (4:32)
02. Stratus (9:52)
03. Anxiety/Taurian Matador (4:49)
04. Snoopy's Search/Red Baron (7:44)
05. All iv One [Outtake]* (4:16)
06. The Pleasant Pheasant (5:23)
07. Castilian Moss (4:10)
08. Flash Flood (5:12)
09. Solarization: (11:11)
a) Solarization
b) Second Phase
c) Crescent Sun
d) Voyage
e) Solarization Recapitulation
10. Lunarputians (2:33)
11. Luna Germs (4:57)
12. Total Eclipse (5:58)
Total Time 1:10:30 (70.5 mins)
Disc 2:
01. Shabazz (13:49)
02. Some Skunk Funk (5:11)
03. H5N1 Funky Thide Of Sings (3:41)
04. Panhandler (4:07)
05. Neu Rock N' Roll [Outtake]* (6:28)
06. Life & Times (7:01)
07. 29 (2:35)
08. Earthlings (5:07)
09. Hip Pockets - The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band (7:10)
10. Juicy - The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band (6:53)
11. Do What Cha Wanna - The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band (5:00)
12. Arroyo (4:13)
Total Time 1:11:11 (71 mins)
*Indicates previously unreleased tracks
Personnel:
- Billy Cobham / percussion
- January Hammer / keyboards (Disc 1 Tracks 1-5)
- Tommy Bolin / guitar (Disc 1 Tracks 1-5)
- Lee Sklar / bass (Disc 1 Tracks 1-5)
- George Duke / keyboards (Disc 1 Tracks 6-8, Disc 2 Tracks 9-11)
- John Abercrombie / guitar (Disc 1 Tracks 6-12)
- John Williams / bass (Disc 1 Tracks 6-8, Disc 2 Track 12)
- Lee Pastora / latin percussion (Disc 1 Tracks 6-8)
- Milcho Leviev / keyboards (Disc 1 Tracks 9-12 & Disc 2 Tracks 1-5)
- Alex Blake / bass (Disc 1 Tracks 9-12, Disc 2 Tracks 1-5)
- Randy Brecker / trumpet (Disc 1 Tracks 6-12, Disc 2 Tracks 1-5)
- Garnett Brown / trombone (Disc 1 Tracks 6-8)
- Michael Brecker / woodwinds & saxes (Disc 1 Tracks 6-12, Disc 2 Tracks 1-5)
- Glenn Ferris / trombones (Disc 1 Tracks 9-12, Disc 2 Tracks 1-5)
- John Scofield / guitar (Disc 2 Tracks 2-12)
- Dawilli Gonga / keyboards (Disc 2 Tracks 6-8 & 12)
- Alfonso Johnson / bass (Disc 2 Tracks 9-11)
...and countless additional musicians (who contributed to a lesser grade together with are unfortunately besides many to list)
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