Billy Cobham : Spectrum 1973

William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian-American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

According to AllMusic's reviewer, Cobham is "generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer". He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.Cobham started the jazz rock group Dreams with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, and John Abercrombie.

Cobham's debut album, Spectrum (1973), surprised him and his record company when it reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Jazz Albums chart and No. 26 on the Top 200 Albums chart.

Drummer Billy Cobham was fresh from his success with the Mahavishnu Orchestra when he recorded his

debut album, which is still his best. Most of the selections showcase Cobham in a quartet with keyboardist Jan Hammer, guitarist Tommy Bolin, and electric bassist Lee Sklar.

Two other numbers include Joe Farrell on flute and soprano and trumpeter Jimmy Owens with guitarist John Tropea, Hammer, bassist Ron Carter, and Ray Barretto on congas. The generally high-quality compositions (which include "Red Baron") make this fusion set a standout, a strong mixture of rock-ish rhythms and jazz improvising.

Cobham is one of the first drummers to play open-handed lead a drummer who plays on a right-handed set but leads with his left hand on the hi-hat instead of crossing over with his right (and also has his ride cymbal on the left side, instead of the traditional right). He typically plays with multiple toms and double bass drums and was well known in the 1970s for his large drum kits.

He moved further into jazz fusion when he toured with Miles Davis and recorded Davis's albums Bitches Brew and A Tribute to Jack Johnson. In 1971, he and guitarist John McLaughlin left Davis to start the Mahavishnu Orchestra, another group that fused rock, funk, and jazz.

Cobham moved to Switzerland in 1985 and he lives in a village just outside Bern.

TRACKS

01. Quadrant 4     4:20
02. Searching For The Right Door     1:24
03. Spectrum (Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter Congas – Ray Barretto Flugelhorn – Jimmy Owens Flute, Soprano Saxophone – Joe Farrell) 5:09
04. Anxiety     1:41
05. Taurian Matador     3:03
06. Stratus     9:50
07. To The Women In My Life     0:51
08. Le Lis (Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter Congas – Ray Barretto Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Jimmy OwensFlute, Alto Saxophone – Joe Farrell Guitar – John Tropea) 3:20
09. Snoopy's Search     1:02
10. Red Baron     6:37

Bonus Track

11. All 4 One (Out-Take) (Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter Alto Saxophone – Joe Farrell Congas – Ray Barretto Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Jimmy OwensGuitar – John Tropea)
4:16

Track 11 is a bonus track, not on the original LP.
   
Label : Atlantic – 8122731742, Warner Jazz – 8122731742
Series : Atlantic Masters –
Format : CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Digipak

MEMBRES :

    Billy Cobham - drums, percussion, production
    Jan Hammer - electric and acoustic pianos, Moog synthesizer
    Ken Scott - recording and re-mix engineering

Additional personnel on "Quadrant 4", "Taurian Matador", "Stratus", and "Red Baron"

    Tommy Bolin - guitar
    Lee Sklar - electric bass

Additional personnel on "Spectrum" and "Le Lis"

    Joe Farrell - soprano and alto saxes, flute
    Jimmy Owens - flugelhorn, trumpet
    John Tropea - guitar on "Le Lis"
    Ron Carter - acoustic bass
    Ray Barretto - congas


FLAC Size : 258 MB