Drummer and composer
Billy Cobham is one of the great technical innovators that bridged jazz, fusion, and funk. Only fellow kit men
Lenny White and
Alphonse Mouzon were in his class, but neither was as fine a composer or arranger. In this attractively priced box,
Cobham's first seven recordings as a leader are compiled with
Inner Conflicts -- issued in 1978 after the drummer's first sojourn with Columbia -- to offer enduring proof of his mastery. His debut, 1973's self-produced
Spectrum, is a jazz rock classic whose influence is immeasurable. Its production and accessible, driving melodies are framed inside intense, extremely technical compositions. The band included guitarists
Tommy Bolin and
John Tropea, keyboardist
Jan Hammer, and bassist Lee Sklar, with guest spots from
Ron Carter,
Joe Farrell, and
Ray Barretto.
Cobham followed it with two ambitiously composed and arranged albums in 1974:
Total Eclipse and
Crosswinds. Though neither set achieved the crossover critical frenzy that greeted
Spectrum, both have been reappraised in the 21st century as groundbreaking. Guitarist
John Abercrombie and the
Brecker Brothers played on both albums. Pianist
Milcho Leviev played keyboards on
Total Eclipse, while
George Duke was at the helm on
Crosswinds.
Shabazz, recorded at the 1974 Montreux Jazz festival and released a year later, offered two new compositions as well as inspired readings of "Taurian Matador" and "Red Baron" from
Spectrum. This hard-jamming keyboard-less group showcased
Cobham in the company of
Abercrombie, bassist
Alex Blake,
the Breckers, and trombonist
Glenn Ferris.
A Funky Thide of Sings, also from 1975, was a return to the studio. It offered a new, more intense vision of jazz funk rather than jazz rock, with guitarist
John Scofield replacing
Abercrombie.
Cobham re-enlisted
Leviev, the horns from Montreux,
Blake, and
Traffic's percussionist
Rebop Kwaku Baah on guitar. The tunes were just as complex in terms of composition, but the grooves were monstrous. For 1976's
Life & Times,
Cobham pared his band to a quartet, keeping only
Scofield, and hiring
Doug Rauch and
Dawilli Gonga on bass and keyboards, respectively. The compositions were tightly woven knots of fusion and funk with the seams jaggedly exposed to dramatic effect. A European tour with
Duke,
Scofield, and bassist
Alphonso Johnson resulted in
The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band: Live on Tour in Europe. The album has some terrific moments but is somewhat uneven. The drummer moved to Columbia for two dates before returning to Atlantic for the final record in this set.
Inner Conflicts is a varied, futuristic jazz-funk record that actively embraces disco and Latin rhythms.
Johnson and
Scofield are core members; guests include
the Breckers,
Sheila and
Pete Escovedo, and
Julian Priester. Criticized at the time, it has acquitted itself as visionary thanks to DJs. Each album is newly remastered; some contain alternates, outtakes, and mono-and single mixes. They are individuallly encased in thick, replica cardboard sleeves. Also included is a 56-page booklet with an essay by Pete Riley. The price is affordable, the music essential. ~ Thom Jurek