Billy Cobham - at Ronnie Scotts in London

[xMaster77x]

Bad quality, good drummer!

[cedspud]

Still my favorite drummer ever!

[brobade]

@cedspud Absolutly!

[ralfodrum]

The Style Cobham plays is called ''Open Handed'' He just sat down and it seemed right,he says,,,Lenny White is a lefty on a right hand set up---Will Kennedy,Dom Famularo,Dennis Wilson ( Beach Boys) also played this way.Famularo switched.All the others learned that way.The perils of being self taught.Cobham always had a different rack tom set up......

[TheNewChadSmith]

@sparkles67

Billy is right handet.

LG Paul

[TheNewChadSmith]

@Moosicles16

This is his Sig. Snare

[sparkles67]

@TheNewChadSmith is billy left handed? unusual setup.

[49RonGuidry]

@sparkles67 Noticed the same thing. Lenny White-esque.

[zagyex]

@sparkles67 actually he is two-handed, made a big influence with his open handed playing in the 70s many drummers started to follow this stuff as i heard.

[lucianisidro]

He's using those translucent 'coated' Evans EC2 heads. I hear they are very nice and am going to get some!

[Saviorofthefallen]

What is this magic?

[wardop]

Great style!

[Moosicles16]

I want that snare drum.

[Tfunkize]

Still a Funky kind of things

[ilariainsisa]

It is a MUSICAL instrument

[pedtrot]

4:51 The double bass drum kick to bring them back in. Sweet! B.C.

[Diatonic5th]

Cobham is a huge inspiration for all drummers. This guy is in his 60's and he's still one of the greatest drummers alive.

[MrAnderlex]

this is the best..........................­..wow

[tericapearson]

His feel and placements are on point.

[CRGentile]

Jesus Christ...Was I even alive before I saw this video today? Where has my head been!

[zerekx]

Shulda kept the Superstars Billy! Love the fact his a lefty and uses match grip too!

[dkofva]

@zerekx Yeah, somebody tell me what was behind the "switching" to Mapex and UFIP and then to Yamaha and Sabian? I mean, Tama and Zildjian? That is a winning combination, to say.

[Phrase]

Awesome! Keep grooving Billy!

[antclauna]

he is just amazing !! his groove and his feel is what influenced great younger drummers like john blackwell

[timbero3]

The Master!!!

[drummingtothesky]

this is great!!

[Ullprutt]

Billy is truly a master of the craft and the artform, he has excellent technique, but is so beautifully musical at the same time. His playing makes perfect musical sense and isn't just a display of chops which unfortunately plagues the playing of many technically proficient drummers. Cobham, you are truly awesome.

[fess04]

master......billy plays so amazing in the tune

[JonP1961]

He's gotta be pushing, what? 65? My hat's off to you, Mr Cobham. Been digging you since the early 70's as a young teen. You still got it, man!

[drmrls1]

"Any questions?" The man's precision on the drums is sick genius!

[SHOJMPR42]

@drmrls1 precision like I have never seen before, amazing

[2strong2cool]

amazing drummer. it would take me ages to learn one bar of what he did!

[JoeJacari]

Friggen' some of the best drumming I've ever seen and I've seen a lot.

Damn.

[musikabarnetik]

man, the realy amazing thing here is to see a drumer telling what to do, and the rest of the band obeying him.

In the rest of the world it seem that the guitarrist is the only one who has the right to lead the band...

[V0idslime]

One of my all time favorites right here! Such an inspiration!

[bigguy92D]

perfect example of great communication withing the band. along with keeping perfect time at the same time.

[oskarveliky]

Billy is a very nice, friendly personality

[Nicar526]

@oskarveliky He's a prince of a guy

[Nickdrummer142]

what a snare!

[McYaballow]

Dave Weckl and Vinnie Colaiuta are probably the most tehcnically proficient drummers out there, but I perfer anytime this kind of playing over all that over-the top technical stuff. Billy has a great sense of feel in music!

[spacitydrummer4JC]

Beautiful. 

[lemonite1]

Nice drumming, and he keeps really good time. In watching some of these drum video/clinics,some of the most well know drummers actually don't keep great time(no,I'm not gunna name any cuz someone is bound to get mad).To me, chops don't mean a thing if ya can't play em in time.

[chinkadero]

best video of billy

[jeffahearn]

This clip is an excellent example of "trading solos". First they play 4s then 2s then 1s and Billy shows us how A LIST musicians comunicate on stage. Awesome!!

[bea5ToloG]

great conducting from behind the kit! thats a band leader.

[vocalone23]

what heads are you using on this snare....i like the bite

[kickinitonthetube]

its amazing how someone can be so technical and spot on, yet have such feel. BC is the man, hands down.

[chungiemunchin]

First time I saw Billy play was when he was in his mid to late twenties and he was with a band called Dreams. He played a small set back then (just four drums and maybe three cymbals plus hi hats) and amazed everyone. Then of course he went onto Mahavishnu fame and the rest as they say, is history. Billy Cobham Jr. is one of the greatest drummers of all time. His total ambidexterity was a shot heard round the world but nobody does it better.....NOBODY. The cat can play anything well.

[aculbertson2006]

billy cobham is the world greatest living drummer.

[naleyan]

I think the problem is modern drums the pre seventies mahogany kits had nice low end tones which could talk, but new drums are loud & just shout all the time. Even modern cymbals compared with the pre seventies ones are designed to sound like they would after they have come thru a mixing desk so when u put them thru a mixing desk again they are painfully toppy. Modern drummers are too bass drum obsessed & thats why metal music is one dimentional.

[MrConservativecat]

@naleyan

you nailed it

[MrConservativecat]

@naleyan

so right

[NickSayle]

@naleyan yep

[RussellsParadox]

DRIVING.  THE. BUS.

[spacitydrummer4JC]

1:33 = nice

[mrprogjazzgto]

LOL... at the end billy says "any questions"

[NickSayle]

this is the feel that is lacking in a lot of modern drumming, this is fab!

[Nicar526]

Couldn't agree more-good comment

[Samsgarden]

Modern drumming is a circus, not a personal expression.

[ProDrummer30]

@Samsgarden THANK YOU .. absolute true

[Xoutravolta]

@Samsgarden With some exceptions.

[zagyex]

@Samsgarden this Is modern drumming.

[jinbo031288]

fucking hell about time some one mentioned that modern drumming is lacking that feel 100% agreed with that

[JazzzPianist]

Agreed..

[AndreasWS1]

I've been listening to an loving Billy's drumming since 1986, when I bought some older records (73) and his then current one. The great thing about him is his musicality , i.e. actually every stroke is a tiny piece of art. This makes him very special.

[jpritch2]

Billy has always been one of my favorite drummers.

check out his drumming with mahavishu orchestra.

I love this guy!

Apparently a lefty??? does anyone know?

I know he could probably play either way and he has a cool hybrid setup... love it!

jp

[billpeart]

i know he has played open handed most of his career and his rolls still start with the right...well most of them. i would say he is ambidextrous.

[drummrguy]

fun

[cesarpierre]

its so natural

[liconaq]

LOVE IT!

[deinielCOBOS]

somebody hear that bass drum ohmost in the very last part, the bass drum cut, this guy really knows !! i say.

[stillavril]

I think the word is adept ;-))

So he won't be buying my pamphlet on drumming then?

[urbancasbah]

black power....

[Nicar526]

Any questions?

[billpeart]

yeah i love that part....."actually yes, i have about 300 of them"!!! lol

[lordbrantley]

holy crap

[krossPP13]

wow

the best

[TonyBtheEG]

this is just too smooth, I love it. great post!

[colrick1234]

yes... wow

[Hania454]

Wow.

[prettythuggi]

I have to have that snare. It probably sounds better in person.

[winnerbaby44]

i love those wood rims!

[godman123]

im in love with that snare

[uzzz]

He's still my favorite !! what a POWER !

[Nicar526]

Just in case there was any doubt...

[Bonzo1x7]

Anyone know the sticking for 0:15-0:17?

[lolodrums]

I guess it's a combination de doubles with singles....rllrrllrlr

[jmr2master]

Guess this is very late but, the part he played was (my guess) inverted six stroke-five stroke ending with the crash. so its r-ll-rr-L(accent)-rr-ll-R(hit on the crash)

[Fabionkeman]

Billy is simply the best!!!

[bigslick45]

A True Original..Wonderful Career & Disography..Looks Great TOO!!

[frusciboy]

just perfect!

[truemusicians]

i love billy

[utubeworms]

Love his rolls!

[proto35]

very nice..unique set up!

[dzionix]

beautiful :* :D

[geesoul]

smoove and groovy playing!