Billy Cobham

Born May 16, 1946 in Panama

Considered the definitive fusion drummer in the 1970s, Billy Cobham's fame has subsided a bit since then but he remains a very capable player who is more flexible than one might think. His family moved to New York from Panama when he was three. After spending time performing with a military band in the Army, Cobham spent eight months with Horace Silver (1968). He then became a busy session musician, played with the jazz-rock band Dreams (1969-70), appeared on some very important Miles Davis records (Bitches Brew, Live-Evil and Jack Johnson) and joined John McLaughlin in the Mahavishnu Orchestra (1971-73) where he became an influential force. Cobham led his own band (Spectrum) from 1973 on, making a strong initial impact but by the late '70s he was mostly freelancing. Since that time he has led electric bands on an occasional basis, been involved in teaching and remains a busy studio player. By Scott Yanow The All Music Guide

The Official Billy Cobham Site