#14 Stratus - Billy Cobham - By Profyousion
spectrum
The driving drums and their trademark tonality underscore the Cobham technique. Add to this the distinctive fender-rhodes harmonics and driving bass line groove, and the stage is set for a “knock your socks off” performance. Stratus is definitely one of his best on the album.
Recorded in 1973, Spectrum is Billy Cobham’s debut effort as a bandleader.
Jazz purists of the time expressed a resistance to funk as viable part of the “straight ahead” jazz arena… fine, whatever! This is still undeniably jazz.
As pure funk, it’s too jazzy, and too jazzy and funky to be pure rock. Hence the “fusion” of all three, creating it’s own category.
The band is comprised of some of the up and coming young lions of the time including: Jan Hammer on keyboards and synthesizer, a former Mahavishnu alumnus, along with Cobham, Tommy Bolin on guitar, who would later be a member of the James Gang and Deep Purple, Leland Sklar on bass, who would go on to play with Phil Collins.
All of which shared a fusion-like mindset, the result of which being the right cats at the right time.
personnel:
Producer William E. Cobham, Jr.
Engineer Ken Scott
Personnel Billy Cobham - percussion
Lee Sklar - electric bass
Jimmy Owens - flugelhorn, trumpet
Also: Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Joe Farrell, Jan Hammer, John Tropea, Tommy Bolin
track listing:
1. Quadrant 4
2. Searching For The Right Door / Spectrum
3. Anxiety / Taurian Matador
4. Stratus
5. To The Women In My Life / Le Lis
6. Snoopy’s Search / Red Baron
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