With COBHAM: The Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham, the work and life of this drumming colossus is explored and analyzed. Written with Cobham’s direct involvement and culled from dozens of hours of interviews with him, the book presents a biography of his early years and the development of his career, and then documents select important recordings and projects from 1968 up to the present day. Cobham gives his views on the industry, writing music, leading a band, recording, education/clinics, and other topics.
Presented in a coffee-table style full-color layout, an extensive collection of photos (many culled from Cobham’s personal archives) documents Billy’s history—including his contributions to the innovative setup of the instrument itself: left-hand-lead/ambidextrous playing, double bass drums, the contemporary large kit with instrument innovations such as the gong drum, and an endlessly creative approach to playing the drums in ways that continue to defy convention.
The book includes many note-for-note transcriptions from throughout Cobham’s career, including tracks from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, his extensive library of CTI recordings, and many of his own albums, including classics from Spectrum, Crosswinds, Total Eclipse, Warning, Power Play, and more.
Also included are exclusive interviews with John McLaughlin, Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, and contributions from Wayne Cobham (Bill’s brother and collaborator) and Ken Hoshino (Tama drums). Contemporary legends who count Cobham among their main influences also contribute their views on Billy’s importance: Will Calhoun, Dennis Chambers, Gary Husband, Simon Phillips, John Riley, Steve Smith, and Narada Michael Walden. Rounded out by a complete discography and a collection of industry advertisements over the years, the book can be used as a musical analysis, biography, or an entertaining look at photos and history of the legendary music career of Billy Cobham.
The latest in a series from author Joe Bergamini, who has written best-selling musical biographies of Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, and Steve Gadd, COBHAM: The Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham is a must for the bookshelf of all drummers and fans of jazz and fusion.
While the book contains many drum transcriptions, people who do not read music will greatly enjoy the book as they would any other biography with text and photos.
Drum transcriptions included in the book:
CTI RECORDS:
- “In a Mist” – Freddie Hubbard – Sky Dive
- “Make Me Rainbows” – Stanley Turrentine – The Sugar Man
- “White Rabbit” – George Benson – White Rabbit
- “Skyscrapers” – Deodato – Deodato 2
MILES DAVIS:
- “Right Off” – Jack Johnson
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA:
- “Vital Transformation” – The Inner Mounting Flame
- “Dance of Maya” – The Inner Mounting Flame
- “You Know You Know” – The Inner Mounting Flame
- “Birds of Fire” – Birds of Fire
- “Celestial Terrestrial Commuters” – Birds of Fire
- “One Word” – Birds of Fire
BILLY COBHAM:
- “Quadrant 4” – Spectrum
- “Stratus” – Spectrum
- “Spectrum” – Spectrum
- “Red Baron” – Spectrum
- “Spanish Moss” – Crosswinds
- “Heather” – Crosswinds
- “Solarization” – Total Eclipse
- “Lunarputians” – Total Eclipse
- “Panhandler” A Funky Thide of Sings
- “Mozaik” – Warning
- “The Conflict” – Power Play
- “Fragolino” – Compass Point
OTHER PROJECTS:
- “Hip Pockets,” “Juicy” – Billy Cobham – George Duke Band: Live on Tour in Europe
- “Walkin’” – Hurricane (video) – Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham
When he burst onto the international stage in 1971 with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham had already recorded with Miles Davis and dozens of others. But it was his otherworldly playing with Mahavishnu that redefined what was possible on the drum set. Cobham’s first solo album, 1973’s Spectrum, became a number one hit, spawned three future jazz standards, and cemented his place as a drumming legend for all time. But Cobham was far from finished, and in a career that has now spanned seven decades, he is considered one of the titans of the instrument, someone whose work is essential study.
Print Book or eBook | 168 pages
Reviews
This book is great! I’ve learned some new things from it, as Bill is definitely one of my heroes. The first time I saw him play with Horace Silver completely blew me away. When I saw him play with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, it definitely fried my mind. To sit there and hear what was coming off that stage and me thinking this was not possible, I couldn’t sleep for 48 hours.
When he came out with his first LP, he took drumming to a whole other level. With each album release, it took you on a trip and pushed you on a journey wanting to learn more.
Billy is a very important piece of drumming history. Bravo to one of the greatest drummers I know!
Dennis Chambers
Congratulations on the new book on one of my idols! There’s so much inspiring info, in words and transcriptions, that generations of drummers will benefit from. Thank you. The layout and editing are perfect and the interviews with Bill’s colleagues, along with the photos, really hit the mark. Reading through Bill’s book has been a great way to start the year for me. Thank you all.
John Riley
In the drum world, “B.C.” should stand for “Before Cobham,” because after Billy came along everything changed. Expectations of what was physically possible to play on the drum set were forever changed and the art of drumming, and drum equipment itself, would never be the same. Over the years, for whatever reason, appreciation of the true magnitude of Cobham’s influence has been allowed to wane. This new book is a fitting tribute to his genius and goes a long way in reestablishing Billy Cobham’s preeminence, rightfully, as one of the most influential musicians of all time.
Colin Schofield (drum industry veteran)
