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Billy Cobham’s position as one of the finest drummer’s in Jazz can be traced back to the glory days of the '70s Jazz-fusion era playing on a number of seminal recordings, most notably
Miles Davis’
Bitches Brew and
Tribute To Jack Johnson. His foray into this new burgeoning sub-genre continued when he joined the harder rocking side of the fusionists,
Mahavishnu Orchestra. Once their original line-up dissolved after three rapid and groundbreaking albums Cobham, tired of in-band fighting and being a hired hand, took the leader’s mantle and formed his own band
Spectrum.
Since then he’s been firmly established as a marquee name and continues to attract sold out crowds wherever he performs - February 23, the penultimate performance of his six-night stand at Ronnie Scotts, London being no exception.
"All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal" - high praise indeed from anyone but when it comes from an esteemed voice such as Miles Davis, you get an idea of how much a talent Ahmad Jamal is and the kind of influence he’s had on the Jazz world down the years.
Now in his 83rd year, Jamal continues to regularly tour the globe and release albums to critical acclaim. In support of last year’s Grammy nominated Blue Moon, Jamal on the Grand piano and his trio - double bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley and percussionist Manuel Badrena - entertained a sold out Barbican on February 8th for what turned out to be an unforgettable night.