The Trap Set will always be available for free, but we rely on donations from our listeners.

Please visit our website at thetrapset.net and click Donate.

Subscribe to our show on iTunes, and if you enjoy what you hear, give us a review.

This episode of The Trap Set is brought to you in part by Collecivo Coffee, handmade coffee since 1993.

Check them out online at collectivo with one l.com.

This is Joe Wong. Welcome to the Trapset, where each week we explore the lives of drummers.

I'm going to play something for you. You're hearing Stratus by my guest, Billy Cobham.

Cobham started drumming professionally as a young child in his father's band,

and eventually started working with many of the top names in jazz.

However, it was his tenure with Mahavishnu Orchestra, which he co-founded in 1970 with guitarist John McLaughlin,

that cemented his reputation as one of the most exciting and influential drummers of his generation.

Mahavishnu combined the harmonic sophistication of jazz, rhythmic meters from world music,

and the raw energy of rock to create a unique sound that was dubbed fusion by the music press.

Over the past 40-plus years, Billy has earned his reputation as one of the most important drummers of all time.

He's released popular and influential recordings as a leader, and has collaborated with everyone from Grateful Dead to Roberta Flack.

In some way or another, his influence has trickled down to every drummer that's followed in his wake.

Much has been made of Cobham's technical virtuosity, his ambidextrousness, lightning-fast speed,

and unparalleled precision.

And while these attributes are impressive, they're merely vehicles for his larger aesthetic vision.

Cobham is not just a drummer.

He's an artist who plays drums.

And now our interview with one of the all-time greats, Billy Cobble.

...