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Billy Cobham: Rudiments: The Billy Cobham Anthology
by Todd S. Jenkins
The Good Book of fusion drumming, culled from a half-dozen years in the life of Billy Cobham. After serving in drum corps, the High School of Music and Arts, and the Army band, as well as gigging and recording with Kenny Burrell, George Benson and Junior Mance, Panamanian native Cobham was finally recommended by Jack DeJohnette to Miles Davis in 1969. Things took off like a bullet from there, and soon enough Cobham was firmly established as the Hot New ...
Continue Reading...Billy Cobham: Rudiments: The Billy Cobham Anthology
by C. Michael Bailey
Loud and Proud.
Rudiments: the Billy Cobham Anthology is a representative collection of songs associated with drummer-composer-bandleader-producer Billy Cobham assembled from the highlights of eight Atlantic releases between 1973 and 1978. This was a particularly fruitful time for Cobham that saw the percussionist recording with the likes of the late Tommy Bolin, Jan Hammer, George Duke, Michael and Randy Brecker, John Scofield, Cornell Dupree, and John Abercrombie. The songs are taken from: Spectrum (Atlantic 7268, 1973)Crosswinds (Atlantic 7300, 1974) Total ...
Continue Reading...Miles Davis: On The Corner / Get Up With It
by Todd S. Jenkins
Columbia/Legacy is embarking upon a hot fusion reissue program, reshaping many of their classic albums via digital technology to make the roots of today’s music more relevant. Among the first reissues slated for 2000 are two of Miles Davis’ most misunderstood but oddly influential offerings, “On The Corner” and “Get Up With It”. At the “On The Corner” sessions Miles went nuts with electric eclecticism. He hooked a pickup and wah-wah pedal to his trumpet, hired three drummers and three ...
Continue Reading...Miles Davis: On The Corner / Get Up With It
by Todd S. Jenkins
Columbia/Legacy is embarking upon a hot fusion reissue program, reshaping many of their classic albums via digital technology to make the roots of today’s music more relevant. Among the first reissues slated for 2000 are two of Miles Davis’ most misunderstood but oddly influential offerings, “On The Corner” and “Get Up With It”. At the “On The Corner” sessions Miles went nuts with electric eclecticism. He hooked a pickup and wah-wah pedal to his trumpet, hired three drummers and three ...
Continue Reading...Charles Earland: Intensity
by AAJ Staff
You hear it at once: a different sound, not always for the better. The music was changing, and Charles Earland joined his easy groove to the lush CTI sound so popular at the time. Results vary: the Burner is hot but too many horns spoil the brew. Take Goin' Home": a rock guitar crashes through the left speaker, and Charles steps coolly behind him. Now he works the chords for warm strength: the feel of his Black Talk! album. But ...
Continue Reading...Charles Earland: Intensity
by Douglas Payne
For 1972's Intensity, Charles Earland's fifth of ten Prestige discs, the Mighty Burner seemed to be aiming toward something a little different than his usual collection of soulful tenor-organ jams. The presence of two songs from the rock group Chicago and a small trumpet-dominated horn section indicate that jazz-rock was the goal. The result, the LP's four original tracks plus two tracks from the same date originally released as part of Charles III, is one of his very best.
Continue Reading...Billy Cobham: Focused
by Glenn Astarita
Jazz, Fusion pioneer Billy Cobham returns with a new band and a new look, featuring the electronic or digitally treated trumpet work of Randy Brecker. Cobham, as the liners suggest places a strong emphasis on composition and tight-knit ensemble work.
Other than his now legendary work with John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, his early 1970’s recording “Spectrum” which featured guitarist Tommy Bolin and keyboard whiz Jan Hammer is considered a modern day “fusion” classic. On “Focused”, Cobham and trumpet great Randy ...
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