Billy Cobham | Artist

Billy Cobham is a Panamanian-American jazz drummer born 1944 in Colón Panama. He came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and is regarded by many as jazz-rock fusion's greatest drummer. Cobham started out drumming in his high school band then, when he was drafted, in the US Army band for three years. When he left the Army he was a much sought after session drummer. In 1970 he formed the fusion band Dreams with Randy and Michael Brecker. His first brush with fame was playing on two of Miles Davis' seminal albums: Bitches Brew and A Tribute to Jack Johnson. In '71 he and John McLaughlin left Davis to form The Mahavishnu Orchestra and he played on that band's brilliant trio of albums: The Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire and Between Nothingness and Eternity. Cobham's debut solo album Spectrum released in '73 was very highly regarded and reached #1 in Billboard's Jazz chart. He followed up with two excellent albums the following year: Crosswinds and Total Eclipse, and has continued to release many fine albums right up to the present day. Outstanding solo albums include Spectrum, Crosswinds, Total Eclipse, Life & Times, Stratus, Focussed and De Cuba y de Panamá.

Artist Website: billycobham.com

Featured Albums: Billy Cobham

Related Artists: Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, New York Jazz Quartet, Paradox, Asere