The ex-Mahavishnu phenom was out to prove he had the drumming and writing chops to stake his own claim with his 1973 solo debut. By the early 1970s, Billy Cobham had spent time drumming with several legendary jazz artists, including Horace Silver, George Benson, and Milt Jackson. As the art form began to include and feature more electric instrumentation, Cobham helped form the band Dreams with future stars John Abercrombie and Michael and Randy Brecker. He also found himself in Miles Davis’s orbit, contributing to the albums Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson alongside guitar blazer John McLaughlin. Seeking to create his own music, McLaughlin left Davis’s group, taking Cobham with him to form the fusion ensemble Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was with the Orchestra that Cobham developed his singular drumming voice and paved the way towards a new, more aggressive, and technical style of playing. The sheer intensity of Cobham’s work […]

August 2020 Issue