I was fortunate enough to see Billy play with this intensity and fire about a dozen times during the 70s and 80s. What a virtuoso! The best drummer of the era, IMHO.
Cmon guys be real. Billy was one of the original working members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. That alone should tell you something about real skill combined with amazing talent. I will never understand comments that say things like his solos were just showing off speed skills. I am sorry but that's absurd.
I got to watch Billy Cobham do a drum clinic in North Charleston S C in 2003. He was playing Yamaha drums and did a thiryt minute solo. All I can say was WOW. Made me wish I stuck with learning the basics of drumming.
Billy Cobham is second only to Buddy Rich IMO. This guy is one of the best drummers ever to sit behind a kit. He is an absolute monster technically and in terms of power.
One of my greatest drumming influences! Too bad he's not a role model for most of these new drummers into the double-pedal-metal stuff. Cobham had great feet too, and did some amazing double bass work. But his was TASTY and not just machine-gun repetitive singles. 5 stars.
he only started playing double bass drums in 1972 while he was on tour with MO.. the first MO album, he only used 1. It wasn't until after they were on tour did he add the second bass drum, so he didn't have much time to actually practice using it...
look, Cobham - as you can tell by his work thru the years - was an extremely intelligent and nice guy. before his famous solo style - like in this video - he was playing jazz as a desired musician. as far as his technique ... he was close to Buddy Rick on the snare and the traditional kit, but what made him a star was his roll down the tom-toms. apparently this requires an extra-bit of strength and finesse. i am not sure any drummer has equalled this, but regardless he was the first one and - as i have indicated - possibly the only one to do this with his speed, power and finesse. In fact if you look at a number of other solos available - especially in later years - he rarely does this. This is what everyone in the audience is waiting for and it really is so unique and incredible people would pay tickets just for this moment. in this video i like the tuning on the tom-toms.
@17drums yeah bc had a 24 22 and 20 and he was describing how they were linked so he could play them at the same time [if i remember right] i always thought itd be interesting to hear that but i havent seen bc do much w his feet anyway although his hands are somthing else.
@sticksbass I can't see how anybody could really do much, with more than 2. It seems like all show, to me. And now, with the advent of the double pedal, there isn't even much use for two bass drums. I have two different-sized bass drums on my Fibes set, (22", 26"), that I'll use for the two-tone effect. But other than that, the double pedal on one bass drum gives a better matched sound, than two pedals on equal-sized bass drums--no matter how closely tuned they are, imo.
The Quandrant 4 groove in my opinion was the covanant to double bass drumming it opened the door to many different ideas. Bellson,Woodyard used it on solos solely. Baker mimicked Woodyard and applied it the same way within a groove.
@sticksbass I didn't even consider that--playing them all at the same time. Might sound kind of neat, live. Probably couldn't tell the difference in a video, though. Still, sounds a bit gimicky to me. You're right about his incredible hands. He's the guy that taught me power singles around the kit. (Through observation, not in person, unfortunately).
They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother YEAH!!! Billy Cobham The Jim Brown on the drums in his day Beast POWER!!!!! Lefty on a right mans kit first true player not to crosshand. Baton carried by Simon Phillips and Carter Anthony Beauford. Both heavily influenced by Big Billy I think Beauford is a refined Cobham
Music was all ears and instinct before the video No DCI No Hudson before You Tube. Your ears were posted on the VYNYL until you scratched the hell out of the Album to learn material. Very Very different only the very talented survived.
Today's younger players don't understand the fundamental role that dynamics play into a player's overall feel and sound. So many drummers just whip out these patterns and chops without any intensity or groove. Ostinato patterns, free hand technique, blast beats -- so what! They sound terrible without any musical sense or attention to the sound of the drumkit. When Billy Cobham plays around his kit YOU KNOW where that kind of power and passion is coming from -- HIM! Great MUSICIAN!
I was fortunate enough to see Billy play with this intensity and fire about a dozen times during the 70s and 80s. What a virtuoso! The best drummer of the era, IMHO.
One of the best drummers ive ever heard he is amazing
Billy Cobham is simply a phenomenen - chops, musicality and muscle.
I hope Billy is feeling better these days. One of the greats!
Cmon guys be real. Billy was one of the original working members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. That alone should tell you something about real skill combined with amazing talent. I will never understand comments that say things like his solos were just showing off speed skills. I am sorry but that's absurd.
🦅 of 🔥… this dude is out of this galaxy 🌌
I got to watch Billy Cobham do a drum clinic in North Charleston S C in 2003. He was playing Yamaha drums and did a thiryt minute solo. All I can say was WOW. Made me wish I stuck with learning the basics of drumming.
Taste, class, dynamics! Billy is a drummers drummer, I do not know of a highr complement!
Billy Cobham is second only to Buddy Rich IMO. This guy is one of the best drummers ever to sit behind a kit. He is an absolute monster technically and in terms of power.
One of my greatest drumming influences! Too bad he's not a role model for most of these new drummers into the double-pedal-metal stuff. Cobham had great feet too, and did some amazing double bass work. But his was TASTY and not just machine-gun repetitive singles. 5 stars.
he only started playing double bass drums in 1972 while he was on tour with MO.. the first MO album, he only used 1. It wasn't until after they were on tour did he add the second bass drum, so he didn't have much time to actually practice using it...
Kongsberg Jazz Festival ´74. Thanks for the upload.
This guy is amazing!
look, Cobham - as you can tell by his work thru the years - was an extremely intelligent and nice guy. before his famous solo style - like in this video - he was playing jazz as a desired musician. as far as his technique ... he was close to Buddy Rick on the snare and the traditional kit, but what made him a star was his roll down the tom-toms. apparently this requires an extra-bit of strength and finesse. i am not sure any drummer has equalled this, but regardless he was the first one and - as i have indicated - possibly the only one to do this with his speed, power and finesse. In fact if you look at a number of other solos available - especially in later years - he rarely does this. This is what everyone in the audience is waiting for and it really is so unique and incredible people would pay tickets just for this moment. in this video i like the tuning on the tom-toms.
His snare drum sounds good!!!!! 👍
Excelente solo de bateria de mi MAYOR MAESTRO DE TODOS BILLY COBHAM! !!!!!
Billy Cobham Mi Mayor Maestro de Todos el mejor Baterista de de este planeta tierra! !!!!!
Love that shirt Billy...oh the drum solo's not bad either :)
Vital Transformation...
Well said and I was thinking the same thing since I'm oldschool when it comes to drummers.
BILLY!!!
If this is from the video from Shabazz Recording, you gotta upload more vids. this is when Billy was in his peak prime..RARE STUFF!
@17drums yeah bc had a 24 22 and 20 and he was describing how they were linked so he could play them at the same time [if i remember right] i always thought itd be interesting to hear that but i havent seen bc do much w his feet anyway although his hands are somthing else.
@sticksbass Not yet. Of course Bozzio's probably got a few with his triple, quadruple, or even quintuple bass drums (or however many he's up to now!)
@sticksbass I can't see how anybody could really do much, with more than 2. It seems like all show, to me. And now, with the advent of the double pedal, there isn't even much use for two bass drums. I have two different-sized bass drums on my Fibes set, (22", 26"), that I'll use for the two-tone effect. But other than that, the double pedal on one bass drum gives a better matched sound, than two pedals on equal-sized bass drums--no matter how closely tuned they are, imo.
The Quandrant 4 groove in my opinion was the covanant to
double bass drumming it opened the door to many different ideas.
Bellson,Woodyard used it on solos solely. Baker mimicked Woodyard
and applied it the same way within a groove.
Exactly where did Mr. Bellson or Mr. Woodward employ the double bass shuffle a la Quadrant 4?
And then Alex Van Halen took that field for hot for teacher!
Billy's Da Bomb baby!
between 1:30 and 2:10 FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
👏🏾👏🏾
i remember having a purple shirt w and owl like that when i was about 15.
@sticksbass I didn't even consider that--playing them all at the same time. Might sound kind of neat, live. Probably couldn't tell the difference in a video, though. Still, sounds a bit gimicky to me. You're right about his incredible hands. He's the guy that taught me power singles around the kit. (Through observation, not in person, unfortunately).
How do today’s drum off contestants compare with this solo?
They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother YEAH!!! Billy Cobham
The Jim Brown on the drums in his day Beast POWER!!!!!
Lefty on a right mans kit first true player not to crosshand.
Baton carried by Simon Phillips and Carter Anthony Beauford.
Both heavily influenced by Big Billy I think Beauford is a refined Cobham
he's teaching online now at the academy of drums!
3:57 The left bass drum mic' just gives up and bows its head. LOL!
Music was all ears and instinct before the video
No DCI No Hudson before You Tube.
Your ears were posted on the VYNYL until you scratched the hell out of the Album to learn material. Very Very different only the very talented survived.
@17drums ive heard 1 or 2 of TBs but he doesnt seem to do much w them.
first of all buddy rich and billy cobham are two different styles of drummers. Both are great drummers. Billy it's more fusion
@17drums i had a modern drummer mag. w BC on a triple bass set. seen any vids of him playing it?
Sticksbass look for video with Jack Bruce.
Today's younger players don't understand the fundamental role that dynamics play into a player's overall feel and sound. So many drummers just whip out these patterns and chops without any intensity or groove. Ostinato patterns, free hand technique, blast beats -- so what! They sound terrible without any musical sense or attention to the sound of the drumkit. When Billy Cobham plays around his kit YOU KNOW where that kind of power and passion is coming from -- HIM!
Great MUSICIAN!
So so true.
Mahavishnu orchestra Central Park 1970? Ouch!
He looks like Animal while drumming :D
Jimi Hendrix of drums
Holy Crap!lol
It looks like all his rack toms are the same size.
Drums never had a chance
Not anyone can equal or surpass buddy rich. This guy is just ridiculous.
poppyahj he just buddy !
@17drums tell it like it is 17 drums
Metal Younger players only play fast singles, and fast singles, and fast singles and...
at 2:09 the sound system just gives up...lol
It sounds like his snare drum is off
It's a pity 'feel' can't be codified.
❤❤❤❤😊👌🎼👌