Jimmy Cobb
Maybe there’s something in the water. Or the air. Or perhaps it’s simply the streaming services deluging us with content while everyone is looking for anything to take their minds off of the global pandemic. But, wow, a ton of great music documentaries have exploded onto screens large and small …
“It just sounded good,” Jimmy Cobb told MD in a 1979 interview. “And it just seemed to get better as it got older.” This is a colossal understatement. The “good” album the humble drummer is referring to is Kind of Blue, the Miles Davis disc he played on that is …
When it came to pure, solid swing feel as deep and wide as the ocean, no one matched Jimmy Cobb.
RECORDINGS Dig These Dug-Ups Three discs of previously unreleased sessions capture jazz giants swung by drumming greats. It’s not uncommon for “unearthed” recordings issued long after an artist’s passing to be shoddy affairs. But three recent jazz releases take the high road, offering quality audio with beautifully designed and informative …
He’s often name-checked for his appearance on the most popular jazz album of all time, Mikes Davis’s Kind of Blue. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the drummer, who’s still quite active at eighty-eight.
After talking to Jimmy Cobb and hearing him play, I was impressed both by the man, and the musician. His musical credentials are extensive. From 1958-1962 he was a member of the Miles Davis group, which included John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley.
I lead a lab at Temple University, and at our first meeting of each semester I ask my students what music they have an interest in learning more about. Some want to gain a deeper understanding of a particular style of playing, while others want to explore specific drummers like …
Peter Criss, Jimmy Cobb, Joey Shuffield, Andy Gangadeen, Mike Malinin, Tim Berkebile, Graham Lear, Barrett Deems, Hanna Fox, Kirk Covington, Clyde Stubblefield, Joe Daniels, David Light, Wallace Roney, Carter Beauford, Sam Wiley Jr., Bill Bruford, Dave Abbruzzese
Billy Cobham, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Don Lamond
Posted: August 2, 2019
Brie Darling of Cherie Currie, Fanny, and Boxing Gandhis
Los Angeles-based, female rock icons Cherie Currie and Brie Darling have joined together to record their debut album, The Motivator.
Posted: August 19, 2014
Influences: Harvey Mason
Here, as a companion to our August 2014 Influences piece on Mason, we speak with the drummer about his new album, his early days, the drummers who inspired him, and more….
Posted: August 6, 2014
Jimmy Cobb
The Original Mob
Louis Hayes Return of the Jazz Communicators
Two stellar offerings led by legendary elder statesmen of jazz drumming….
Posted: April 16, 2014
KoSA Percussion Workshops
The 2014 South Florida Percussion Workshop/KoSA Miami will take place…
Posted: January 2, 2014
VIDEO! Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Approaching Standards, Part 3: Language and Vernacular (February 2014 Issue)
Click here to check out a video lesson to accompany the Jazz Drummer’s Workshop article on applying standard tunes to the drums from the February 2014 issue.
Posted: July 31, 2013
Jazz/Rock Drummer Aaron Comess to Play Smoke Jazz in NYC on August 13
Respected jazz and rock drummer/producer Aaron Comess will be performing some of his favorite material from the ’60s with a quintet on August 13 at Smoke Jazz in New York City. Comess, whose Smoke Jazz appearance last year was previewed in the New York Times, Modern Drummer, and elsewhere, has …
Posted: March 20, 2013
NYC Generations of the Beat Festival
NYC’s first jazz drummer festival featuring headliners Jimmy Cobb and Billy Hart with performances by Andrew Cyrille & Oliver Lake, Jeff “Tain??? Watts, Lenny White, Enoch Jamal Strickland, Kimberly Thompson, Joe Dyson and Mark Whitfield Jr. at DROM – doors 6pm both days….
Posted: January 2, 2013
Doug Jones of Taddy Porter
Hi! I’m Doug Jones from the Oklahoma rock band Taddy Porter, and I’m ecstatic to blog a second time for Modern Drummer.
Posted: August 15, 2012
Nate Smith
As a member of Dave Holland’s big band, quintet, and octet, Nate Smith holds, well, three of the most cherished gigs in jazz. Holland, a revered bass player who started his own musical quest with Miles Davis in the ’60s, has nurtured many a drummer in his high-octane ensembles, and …
Posted: June 27, 2012
Jazz/Rock Drummer Aaron Comess Preps Sextet Concert for July 11th at Smoke Jazz in NYC
Respected jazz & rock drummer/multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Aaron Comess has confirmed a July 11th sextet concert at Smoke Jazz in New York City.
Posted: May 31, 2012
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Teaching Feel
We asked the MD Education Team if feel could be taught. See what they had to say….
Posted: August 18, 2011
Tanglewood Jazz Festival Presents NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Cobb in Master Class for Drummers
NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Cobb will present a Master Class for Drummers on Sunday, September 4, at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. The master class –which is free to drum students of all ages– will begin at 12:30pm in the Jazz Café Tent, on September 4, closing day of the 3-day …
Posted: April 18, 2011
Jimmy Cobb: Kind Of Blue And Beyond
Jimmy Cobb was one of the most popular drummers of the late 1950s. He began playing at an early age and found his influences among the bop pioneers. “Max Roach was the hippest music going,??? remembers Cobb. “I also listened to Kenny Clarke, Shadow Wilson, and Sid Catlett. Then a …
Posted: October 20, 2009
Drumming On TV
In celebration of the great, sometimes groundbreaking drumming performances of TV’s golden age, we present to you highlights along the illustrious Drumming On TV timeline…
Posted: January 26, 2009
Kevin Johnson
Hello, MD readers. This is a very important time in history. The first African-American president took office recently, and he spoke of standing on the shoulders of those who came before him. As this idea pertains to music, and to playing drums in particular, I’m thinking about all the shoulders …
Posted: May 28, 2008
Drummer Blog: Karl Latham
This has been an interesting year for me so far, with lots of cool stuff going on. It started with a NAMM trip and great hangs with Freddy Studer, Ryan Kreiger, Gerry Brown, Kim Plainfield, Sandy Gennaro, Rich Mangicaro, Larry Lelli, Tony Lewis, Ivan Hampden, Dena Taurellio, and so many …
Posted: April 25, 2008
Marcus Baylor of The Yellowjackets
Hello, MD family! 2008 has been a blessed and busy year, with more great things to come! My name is Marcus Baylor, and I am the drummer with The Yellowjackets.
Posted: September 19, 2007
Carl Allen: Embracing the Journey
Soon after moving to the New York area in the early ’80s, Carl Allen landed a dream gig with post bop trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. That gig established the then nineteen-year-old drummer as a leading light among a select group of eager young musicians who were looking to breath new life …
Posted: October 19, 2005
Mickey Curry
Not many people get to do exactly what they love and get paid for it – much less with two of the biggest artists in the world. Mickey Curry toured and recorded with Hall & Oates at the peak of their career, laying down a solid backbeat with perfect feel …
Posted: June 3, 2020
Podcast Episode 244: 5 Tips for Motivation, Jimmy Cobb Remembered, Welch Tuning Systems, and More
In this episode, Mike and Mike celebrate the life and drumming of jazz great Jimmy Cobb. The education segment focuses on Johnston’s five tips to help you keep motivated during these challenging times. Up for review is an innovative new cable-tuned drumset by Welch Tuning Systems. After answering a few …
