“In music you can’t lie. People will understand and they will say what you are. The more you are yourself, the more people will be thrilled. Because in music and especially in jazz, a free soul is looking for its mate”.

Billy Cobham is considered the best drummer worldwide. In March 23^rd he will be back in Greece, this time to present his new CD titled “Palindrome”. It is a CD with remakes of pieces he composed thirty years ago!

Songs like “Moon Germs”(from the “Total Eclipse”,1975 or “ A Days Grace”(“Flight Time”,1981) are presented in a new version next to “Two for Juan”(1987, “Picture This”), “Alfa Waves”(“The Traveler”, 1995) and “Mirage”(“Focused”, 1997).

His regress proves how a great musician knows how to present material he composed decades ago by using new creative ideas.

Billy Cobham (his real name is William C.Cobham) was born in Panama on May 16^th, 1946. His family moved to New York during his early years. In the 1970’s he was already considered the best fusion drummer and he was also part of the bebop music scene. For a period he was playing in a military band. In 1968 he played for eight months along side with Horace Silver and later on worked as session (freelance) musician.

He started playing with the jazz-rock group Dreams, (1969-1970) and with The Mahavishnu Orchestra of John McLaughlin, (1971-1973), both of whom he influenced. At the same time he contributed in important records of Miles Davis, (“Bitches Brew”, “Live Evil”, “Jack Johnson”).

In 1973 he started his own group, the Spectrum, whose first album (bearing their name) came out the same year and is one of the highlights of his career. Until the end of the decade he returned in performing session music. Since then he headed various bands, he took up teaching and always remained a very active studio musician. He worked with George Benson, (one of his longest collaborations), Mose Allison, Roy Ayers, Gato Barbieri, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and others. Among his most important works from the 1980’s onwards, are “Billy Cobham Live: Flight Time”(1981), “Stratus”(1981), “The Traveler”(1995), “Focused”(1999).

In 2000 he came out with “Live on Tour in England” and in January 2010 with the “Palindrome”. He permanently lives in Switzerland.

Press Release