Was listening to the Miles/Blackhawk set last night, and couldn't get enough of the ferociously swinging drumming of Jimmy Cobb. I've been familiar with Cobb for about as long as I've listened to jazz, but never really noticed Cobb before. Until now.

What is it about his playing that is so damn infectious? It sounds like simple timekeeping; then he drops some kinda bomb, or hits those toms with what sounds like ten extra arms and doesn't even blink or break a sweat!!!

Is he still active? I did a search on allmusic, and noticed he's on a very recent Von Freeman with Richard Wyands on piano! Has anyone heard this, and is it as good as the lineup suggests? I hope he's still fairly active!

I gotta dig through my collection and see what else of his work I've been overlooking!

Al, there's at least one thread about the Freeman record. Do a search.

Cobb played last year in Belgrade.

It was (as well as 3 years earlier concert of Roy Haynes) some of greatest moment of my life to see him playing, live.

Cobb was perfect, almost quiet at times, and did no showman elements while soloing.

Just music.

Can't find it now, but there was a good article on Cobb in Jazz Times within the last year. From the article, it appears he is in good form and still quite active in clubs and recording studio.

Check out the albums he did with Wes Montgomery: Full House, and Smokin' at the Half Note. Kickass. Boss Guitar is good, too; especially if you want to hear him in an organ trio.

ONLY FOR THE PURE AT HEART was released on Fable in 1998.

(same band as on COBB'S GROOVE, sans Eric Alexander). Peter Bernstein shines.

Mr. Cobb has his own web site!

Jimmy Cobb Web Page

Cobb did two relatively recent recordings with the quartet of swiss tenor saxophonist, Roman Schwaller (he was with the Vienna Art Ochestra in the eighties). The quartet also includes Oliver Kent (p), and Thomas Stabenow (b).
One disc is on JHM Records - I have and like it: http://www.jhmrecords.ch/de/katalog/index_a.php, the other one I just now found out about is on Bassic Sound: http://www.jazzrecords.com/bassic/cd019.htm.

Very fine mainstream jazz, a couple of originals, Cobb is great, Schwaller is never less than solid, quite his own man, and the other two men are good, as well, Stabenow standing out shining on several tunes of "Some Changes in Life" (JHM).

If anyone orders from JHM directly, they have a few other good things in their catalogue: the Clifford Jordan disc (here - ask Sangrey), as well as Schwaller's Nonet release, The Original Tunes.

ubu

Jimmy Cobb's "Mob" also recently recorded for Milestone in Janaury 2003. The CD, "Cobb's Groove" features Eric Alexander, Richard Wyands, Peter Bernstein and John Webber. Jimmy is also on the most recent Fathead Newman release on HighNote

Saw him at Smoke in Manhattan, with George Coleman jumping up to do a tune with 'em. Bought the CD that night. Very cool that he's active.

A friend (who doesn't know jack about jazz) has very well-to-do folks and a little jazz combo at some party. One of the guests sat-in to play drums- "some guy named Jimmy Cobb- is he famous?- he was really good!" as she put it. The world isn't fair.

Jimmy Cobb is as great as ever.
Here's a link to his bio on the Fantasy website.

The first CD of Cobb's Mob, which exists for quite a few years now, in fact was this album:



He's pretty much in demand as a sideman in recent years.

Those Jimmy Cobb Mob cds are really quite outstanding. Peter Bernstein really shines on these.

Jim, what kinda guitar is he holding there? It looks like the same kind Doug Raney used on Blues on a Par, and I love the sound of the guitar on that one!

Very much alive and played Los Angeles this summer. A friend of mine hung out with him two nights in a row after the gig and said he was in a story-telling mood and a very, very cool cat...

Evidently, Mr. Cobb is also rather fond of In 'n' Out burgers....

Cobb's on Toronto pianist Mark Eisenman (my old piano teacher)'s new disc too.

Note to Joe G: Picked up Wes Montgomery's Impressions: The Verve Jazz Sides with all that Half Note stuff. Youse is right: that stuff is da SHIZNIT!!!

I saw Cobb here in DC w/Curtis Fuller Sextet 7-8 months ago. He's probably still floating around the map w/them.

He's the drummer on the new Cedar Walton Trio CD on Venus.

Mr. Cobb played in belgium this summer with the Charlie Parker Tribute Band (ronnie matthews, darryl hall, jesse davis)

great concert

Lexman

This is how you know you're in NYC...

I was at a friend's apt. last year in the city. It turned into the late night hang for many musicians after their gigs that night. One pianist was talking about the gig he just got back from, "Who did you play with?" I asked, expecting some unfamiliar local name. "Oh, I play with Jimmy Cobb at his weekly gig down the street" he said. (Picture jaw dropping to floor).

And to think I was just down the street and didn't see it. Just a little local gig.

I would love to see Jimmy. He's just about my fav....