Monday 7 August 2017

Cobham. Billy - Magic (1977)


The sixth album from this US drummer.

Billy Cobham plays drums here and is being supported by guitars, bass, synths, piano, mini moog, clarinet, congas and some vocals.

His last album, the 1976 Life & Times album, was a funky album. Well, it was a funk album with George Clinton, the funk master, helping out on the album.

It is a bit funny and impressive that Billy Cobham then makes a U-turn and goes for a much more jazzy album on Magic, one year after the Life & Times album.

OK, there are some funk here. Mostly at the end of this forty minutes long album. But the first half, the first 2/3 of this album is pretty much a jazz and fusion album. Mostly fusion, though. There is a lot of Mahavishnu Orchestra vibes on this album. Billy Cobham was the drummer there so that is pretty natural that he draws on those experiences.

The guitars, piano and the clarinet does a very good job here. Billy Cobham holds it together on drums. The musicianship is very good throughout. That is as expected from them.

This is also a very charming, cosy album which offers up a lot of laidback fusion and jazz. It is also a good album which will win a lot of friends. It is not as satisfactory in the long run. But I like this album. Check it out.

3 points


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