December 1, 2023, New York, NY – Hudson Music is honored to announce the release of COBHAM: The
Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham, the authorized musical biography covering the life and work of
this jazz, fusion, and drumming legend. The beautifully designed 168-page book includes biography,
musical notation, discography, and photos.
When he burst onto the international stage in 1971 with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham had
already recorded with Miles Davis and dozens of others. But it was his otherworldly playing with
Mahavishnu that redefined what was possible on the drum set. Cobham’s first solo album, 1973’s
Spectrum, became a number one hit, spawned three future jazz standards, and cemented his place as a
drumming legend for all time. But Cobham was far from finished, and in a career that has now spanned
seven decades, he is considered one of the titans of the instrument, someone whose work is essential
study.
With COBHAM: The Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham, the work and life of this drumming colossus
is explored and analyzed. Writen with Cobham’s direct involvement and culled from dozens of hours of
interviews with him, the book presents a biography of his early years and the development of his career,
and then documents select important recordings and projects from 1968 up to the present day. Cobham
gives his views on the industry, writing music, leading a band, recording, education/clinics, and other
topics.
Presented in a coffee-table style full-color layout, an extensive collection of photos (many culled from
Cobham’s personal archives) documents Billy’s history—including his contributions to the innovative
setup of the instrument itself: left-hand-lead/ambidextrous playing, double bass drums, the
contemporary large kit with instrument innovations such as the gong drum, and an endlessly creative
approach to playing the drums in ways that continue to defy convention.
The book includes note-for-note transcriptions from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, Cobham’s
CTI recordings, and many of his own albums, including classics from Spectrum, Crosswinds, Total Eclipse, Warning, Power Play, and more.
Also included are exclusive interviews with John McLaughlin, Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, and
contributions from Wayne Cobham (Bill’s brother and collaborator) and Ken Hoshino (Tama drums).
Contemporary legends who count Cobham among their main influences also contribute their views on
Billy’s importance: Will Calhoun, Dennis Chambers, Gary Husband, Simon Phillips, John Riley, Steve
Smith, and Narada Michael Walden. Rounded out by a complete discography and a collection of
industry advertisements over the years, the book can be used as a musical analysis, biography, or an
entertaining look at photos and history of the legendary music career of Billy Cobham.
While the book contains many drum transcriptions, people who do not read music will greatly enjoy the
book as they would any other biography with text and photos.
The latest in a series from author Joe Bergamini, who has writen best-selling musical biographies of Neil
Peart, Stewart Copeland, and Steve Gadd, COBHAM: The Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham is a
must for the bookshelf of all drummers and fans of jazz and fusion.
- COBHAM: The Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham
- By Joe Bergamini
- 168 pages
- Full color, perfect bound
- $29.99
About Hudson Music
Hudson Music LLC is a publishing company founded in 1998 and led by drummer, producer, and
entrepreneur Rob Wallis. A longtime leader in print publishing of educational music media and a
trailblazer in digital technology and fulfillment, Hudson Music’s catalog is distributed to drum shops,
music stores, and online retailers in the United States and Canada by the Hal Leonard Corp. Hudson
Music digital products are available at www.HudsonMusic.com and through their mobile app,
the Hudson Music Digital Bookstore.
