Photo Courtesy of Billy Cobham
Milwaukee may not be known as a jazz destination on the same level as New Orleans or New York, but the city has hosted several renowned jazz artists in the last several years, including Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, The Branford Marsalis Quartet and—Monday, Sept. 30, at Shank Hall—Billy Cobham.
Considered to be one of the best living jazz fusion drummers, Cobham, 75, has performed with a number of impressive musicians in the jazz and rock genres, including Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Horace Silver and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. He’s also released nearly 40 solo albums since his 1973 debut, Spectrum.
Cobham and his band, The Billy Cobham Crosswinds Project (Fareed Haque, guitar, Tim Landers, bass, Paul Hanson, bassoon, and Scott Tibbs, keyboard), played for a good-sized crowd at Shank Hall. The concert included accomplished trumpeter Randy Brecker, who formed the jazz-rock band Dreams with Cobham in the late 1960s and was a founding member of the group Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Cobham and his band previously performed at Shank Hall in March 2018, and the drummer seemed glad to be back on the Brew City stage. “We’re happy to be here in Milwaukee,” Cobham said to the enthusiastic audience, many of whom stood up and clapped after a drum, keyboard or trumpet solo.
Cobham, a master of dexterity and nuance, and his band played several songs from his 1973 album Spectrum and 1974 album Crosswinds, including the groovy “Crosswinds,” the funky “The Pleasant Pheasant,” the atmospheric “Spanish Moss” and the powerful, punchy “Taurian Matador.” Cobham’s music appears to be inspired in part by his travels, and it’s easy for his listeners to imagine windswept beaches and Spain’s countryside.
The smiling Cobham never seemed to break a sweat, attacking his nearly dozen-piece drum kit with the zeal and energy of a musician fifty years younger, but with the agility and finesse of a drummer with more than half-a-century of experience. Tibbs’ keyboard solos, with Fender Rhodes and electric piano sounds, were perfectly matched with Landers’ bass, Brecker’s virtuosic trumpet and Hanson’s rich bassoon. Haque added innovative guitar solos, while Landers’ bass provided a solid component to the band’s formidable rhythm section.
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A gracious performer who appreciates his fans, Cobham announced that after the show, he and his band would be signing autographs in the club. “That’s what we do as artists. We create and present and share our lives with you,” the drummer said.
