Billy Cobham Fibes Drums Full Classical Works#

The cost of the ticket back then was $4, if you can believe that.Buddy Rich favored a Fibes SFT snare drum (even while endorsing other brands), and Billy Cobham gained early prominence behind a clear acrylic Fibes kit. I saw Led Zeppelin, here in Houston, at the Sam Houston Coliseum in 1974,at the then apex of the bandвЂ™s career. What a shame he passed so soon and probably never even knew what a lasting impression on modern rock music he was making as he was making it. Interestingly, at a time when drummers were stuffing their drums and taking the bottom heads off to get as much of a dead sound as they could get, Bonham was doing just the opposite-both heads on with as much ring and resonance as he could possibly get out of his oversized drums вЂ“ he used a 26 inch bass drum! I see kids, even today, buying the Bonham re-issue Ludwig Vista-lite drum set, trying to get вЂњthatвЂќ sound. No wonder Page shut the band down for so long, immediately after Bonham died around 1980.Without that huge sound of BonhamвЂ™s drums, itвЂ™s just not Zeppelin.

Here was another man with an incredible, unorthodox feel. As simple as one may think those drum parts are (which they are), I have yet to this day hear anyoneВ cop that Ringo feel and actually sound like Ringo.Ginger BakerВ вЂ“ Ginger Baker played with bands Cream and Blind Faith. His drumming is a study in simplicity and feel. He was one of the first influences on me that made me want to play the drums.(Besides classmate Steve Hart, in the fifth grade, with his drum kit, set up in the school yard.) No one else could have filled that quarter of the chemistry to complete this mega song writing machine. Martin Organization, who were famous for their acoustic guitars.Ringo Starr вЂ“В When I was a pre-teen in the 60вЂ™s, this man, driving the Beatles so to speak, was the first thing I saw right out of the box on the Ed Sullivan show.

Billy Cobham Fibes Drums Full Classical Works

He left Yes after three albums to pursue his own fusion jazz bands. I saw them in 1977 at the Summit, a short time before MoonвЂ™s death.Bill Bruford вЂ“В Bill Bruford was the original drummer for the art rock band Yes. I saw them at the Sam Houston Coliseum in 1977.Keith Moon вЂ“В Keith MoonвЂ™s technique never did a lot for me, but the explosive energy and sometimes seemingly uncontrolled nature of his playing just seemed to really fit the music of The Who, which I have always loved. With the odd rock combination of keys, bass, and drums, Palmer used lots of flashy showmanship technique when he played and was the first big rock show drummer that I saw use a traditional grip with the drum sticks. Ginger Baker was the granddaddy of the long extended live rock drum solo.Carl Palmer-В Carl Palmer was part of a power rock trio Emerson, Lake and Palmer who adapted symphonic themes and full classical works pieces to a rock format.

Such wonderful new musical experimentation was taking place during this period giving birth to new musical styles. Jazz DrummersThe late sixties through the seventies was a fantastic time to be growing up musically speaking. I saw Yes at the Astrodome in 1975 and again at Hoffienz Pavillion in 1977. It is pretty much that songвЂ™s trademark. His ringing, pitched snare drum sound on the Yes tune Roundabout was very innovative on his part.

I was less than thrilled about the whole deal, though. He said we just hadВ to go, so we did. It was two of my buds, about to explode, telling me about this new band called Chick Corea and Return To Forever, that was playing downtown, that night, at a small jazz club called La Bastille. Eastern Indian music influence was creeping its way into rock with itвЂ™s odd time signatures.(such as 7/8 and 9/8) Here is a list of some of the jazz, and jazz-rock drummers who influenced me while growing up.Lenny White вЂ“OK, so there I was sitting at home, a teenager in 1975,minding my own business, turning my nose up at jazz, playing along to my Who and Yes albums when a knock came at my door.

There was plenty of room on the stage for the artists and the stage was set up high, but the room was so small that every seat was a fantastic seat. When we finally made it down to our seats, I noticed that this place was smallВ вЂ“ really small (as in no mikes on any drums or amps or anything, small). When we got there, there were people waiting in line along a long staircase leading underground which, as it turns out, is where the club was-underground. I had to have plenty of reassurance from my bud who was the jazzer out of the two of us(he played guitar) that this was something that I really wanted to sit through.

The band consisted of the classic R.T.F. Every member was a complete virtuoso on his instrument. It was loud, fast and furious and a new music style was being born right before my ears and eyes called jazz-rock. When it was over, it was strong enough to move me and several other audience members sitting around me to tears. All I knew was I was experiencing something fantastic and magical. The sound of this music was totally foreign to me.

The thing that stuck with me about Lenny White was how fast his right foot was on the kick drum and how much stamina he had with that right foot.Billy Cobham вЂ“В Now here comes life changing experience number two. This was not pure jazz, but it was the perfect carrot to pull me in, to make me want to study pure jazz and even classical music just a few short years later in college. This was something I had never experienced with rock. It was as if the four members, facing and looking at each other on stage, were carrying on a conversation with their instruments. I had never heard blazing unison runs together on guitar and bass guitar played so fast in my life. I couldnвЂ™t believe the gorgeous sounds that this guy named вЂњChickвЂќ was producing out of this instrument called a Fender Rhodes electric piano.

So now, here we are back at La Bastille and my first clue that something incredible was about to happen was the stage set up. After I was to see what I was about to see, I would become a huge fan of that band as well. The old band, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, I had seen on TV and didnвЂ™t think much about it (probably because I saw it on TV and not live).

He was wearing new blue jeans, new white Chuck Taylor Converse All Star canvas tennis shoes (leather tennis shoes werenвЂ™t around yet) and a football jersey. Then out came this HUGE looking man with these huge arms (I was a skinny little high school shrimp, but the man was still huge nonetheless). The drumset was at the frontВ of the stage and the other players in the band standing in the back and not vice versa, which I had seen with everything else up until that point.

He would snap these sticks like pencils while playing, toss that one, and reach down and grab another almost faster than the eye could see. The man then proceeded to demolish an entire box of Ed Shaughnessy 707 Promark drumsticks which he had standing up on end beside him. Those poor drums and drum sticks didnвЂ™t stand a chance.

Not only did he become a mentor to me and countless others around the globe, but later in life, I have had the good fortune to be able to call him close personal friend.Buddy Rich вЂ“There are only two guys that I really enjoy watching play a drum solo вЂ” one is Billy Cobham the other is Buddy Rich. Needless to say I was a fan for life. I had never seen anyone play with so much power, speed and finesse, all at the same time.

And, if we were lucky enough, he would just sit and let the band play as a feature, which would happen on rare occasion. The other was because he had a kick butt big band that played behind him during the breaks. One was because I loved Johnny Carson. Buddy died in 1987.Ed Shaughnessy вЂ“В Growing up, there were two reasons I watched the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson consistently for thirty years. Of course Buddy played traditional grip and had incredible finger control of the drumsticks, so I always enjoyed the close ups of his hands while playing. Johnny Carson, being a novice drummer himself, had great admiration for Buddy Rich as well.