That lifestyle change sounds like another good Cobham story. Would you be so kind as to elaborate?
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That lifestyle change sounds like another good Cobham story. Would you be so kind as to elaborate?
I posted a few times on his web site a few years ago. I would write these really deep, long technical questions to which he would reply with three very sarcastic words. It really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I never went back. Glad I found you dudes.
If you have a chance, go over
to his sight and just thumb
around in the "We're Talking
Jazz" section. I confess that
I have posted more than all of
the other members combined so
I won't be offended of you
become bored to tears with me.
Perhaps you can find little
odds and ends that might bring
light to his life outside the
music business.
As a matter of fact, just
recently, one of the regulars
there posted this:
"hello All ! Boomer has been interviewed for Goldmine magazine, which is the premier publication for record collectors. He answered a series of 10 questions. For those of you who would like to read the interview, I have re-typed it on my website which is
hometown.aol.com/whodowedo/cobham1.htm
Go to article 13 under the Cobham related articles link and there you have it. The most interesting revelation to me was the fact that Boomer was the hand claps behind the Certs commercial from 20 years ago " Certs is two [clap], two [clap], two mints in one" . Yes, Boomer truly is everywhere !!!!! Hope you guys enjoy the article ! Peace, TED"
Check it out.
About your experience, I'm
sorry to hear that, Nikk.
Billy is very, very human.
Though he's always on the go,
he tries to find the time to
communicate with us and does.
Trust me. He's a GOOD GUY.
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Hand claps at double scale? Excellent! Guess Earl Palmer was unavailable that day? [img]wink.gif[/img]
You found me.
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Well, first let me tell
you that listening to
Billy play and watching
him on the Don Kirschner
Rock Concert, with MO,
back in the 1970's was
just shattering for me!
I don't know that young
drummers today realize
just what a storm Billy
forecasted for drums. He
changed everything, with
Tony, both having crucial
relationships with the
iconic John McLaughlin.
It was while I was in
the shower, listening to
WNEW FM radio (the Night-
Bird - Alison Steele, for
those who might remember
the sultry queen), that
I first heard the incred-
ible "Stratus" and then
"The Pleasant Pheasant".
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/eccentric/alison.htm#one1
She was doing a feature
on him but you have to
realize that this was a
rock station! You just
didn't hear this kind of
stuff on the radio stat-
ions back then.
She called him a "drummer
extroardinairre". She was
right as rain.
I think I still was 14-15
years old, having only been
playing for a few months
but practicing 6-8 hours a
day. I turned off the water
and listened to drums like
I had never heard them. The
clean but virtual attack! I
could only picture in my
mind, what type of android
was doing this!
I was awestruck. Now, there
was only one thing to do. I
had to find him. I had to
study with this drummer...
...more to come...
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Me2 and i mean....me too!
Here's another story:
I was VERY into Billy,
before Tony and would
go to every show, eager
to get backstage, when-
ever I could. I'd go a-
lone or with one friend
just to make that easier.
At the Town-Hall, in NYC,
Billy was billed with a
big-band/large ensemble.
I just can't remember it
(the name), for the life
of me, right now...
[img]confused.gif[/img]
...but they were likely
"The New York Regulars".
This was going to be a
treat, getting to see
him with a larger comp-
liment of horns. I don't
know if you remember the
power of the Montreux
Summit recordings from
that period but that's
exactly what it was!
Anyway, before the show,
there were pictures be-
ing taken, I think and
Billy was there. I think
I might have lied and
said that I was a stud-
ent but I got a chance
stand next to Billy and
have a little chat.
I told him that story I
shared with you to which
he chuckled at. I started
asking him about becoming
stronger and faster. I
noticed he was carrying
a quart of Tropicana OJ.
He pointed at it, saying:
"Drink lots of this. Don't
smoke or do drugs and do
lots and lots of push-ups."
It was time to get the
show on the road and we
were all seated. It was
very intimate - a smaller
hall, which was nice for
a change.
They set Billy up in
front of the horns and
played some traditional
and some rather "out"
arrangements (as I rec-
all). Of course, Billy
was highlighted and his
style of drumming was
in stark contrast to
what was being played
at times but very much,
still 'Billy'.
Well, as the show built
up towards the climax,
he was playing more and
more, louder and louder
and well, I started see-
ing that the horn sect-
ion was holding their
hands up as if to shade
themselves from the in-
credible, sonic assault
stemming from Billy's
cymbal crashes mostly!
Well, it was a great
show, of course. He
was a fast and as pow-
erful as I had ever
seen him, that night.
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Click the PLAY button on top of
Branford's picture.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/jazz.shtml?profile#
A little history lesson.
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Thanks for that link Peter !
I kinda missed out on this period of fusion music. I had the record Spectrum (I wore that record out) but never really hit it off with MO for some reason.
I can't pinpoint it. Maybe I thought too much gratuitous playing/soloing. It sounds pretty nice now though since we are going through a safety first mode in American music.
The funny thing is that I loved Jimmy Hendrix, Weather Report and the electric Miles period with Jack Dejohnette. I'm listening to the link and am enjoying it ! Billy is superhuman.
Thanks.