Jimmy Cobb


Wilbur James Cobb was an American jazz drummer. He was part of Miles Davis's First Great Sextet. At the time of his death, he had been the band's last surviving member for nearly thirty years. He was awarded an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2009.

Early life

Cobb was born in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1929. Before he began his music career, he listened to jazz albums and stayed awake into the late hours of the night in order to listen to Symphony Sid performing in New York City. Cobb started his touring career in 1950 with the saxophonist Earl Bostic. He subsequently performed with vocalist Dinah Washington, pianist Wynton Kelly, saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, bassist Keter Betts, Frank Wess, Leo Parker, and Charlie Rouse. His website also recounts his gigs with Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, and Dizzy Gillespie that took place before 1957.

Career

Cobb joined Miles Davis in 1958 as part of the latter's First Great Sextet, after Adderley recommended him to Davis. Cobb's best known recorded work is on Davis' Kind of Blue. Cobb was the last surviving player from the sessions, a distinction he held for just under the last three decades of his life. He also played on other Davis albums, including Sketches of Spain, Someday My Prince Will Come, Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall, In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete, and briefly on Porgy and Bess and Sorcerer. His subtle and understated demeanor drew the admiration of many including Davis. However, this also meant that he did not get the same level of recognition that his fellow drummers would. Cobb had the propensity to eschew publicity and did not record his first set as bandleader until 1983, with the release of So Nobody Else Can Hear.
Cobb left the band in 1963, when Tony Williams was brought in by Davis. He formed a trio with pianist Wynton Kelly and bassist Paul Chambers, both of whom were part of Davis' rhythm section. The group recorded with Kenny Burrell and J. J. Johnson, before breaking up at the end of the decade. Cobb went on to join the Great Jazz Trio, together with Hank Jones on piano and Eddie Gómez on bass. He also toured with Sarah Vaughan during the 1970s, and taught at Stanford University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Berklee College of Music. He played in a tribute band called "4 Generations of Miles", together with Ron Carter and George Coleman.
During his career, Cobb worked with Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Art Pepper, Wayne Shorter, Benny Golson, Gil Evans, Kenny Dorham, Frank Strozier, Bobby Timmons, Booker Little, Johnny Griffin, Akiko Tsuruga, Bertha Hope, Hamiet Bluiett, Nat Adderley, Mark Murphy, Jon Hendricks, Joe Henderson, Fathead Newman, Geri Allen, Larry Willis, Walter Booker, Red Garland, Richie Cole, Ernie Royal, Jerome Richardson, Jimmy Cleveland, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Stitt, Nancy Wilson, Ricky Ford, Richard Wyands, John Webber, and Peter Bernstein, among many others.

Awards

In June 2008, Jimmy Cobb was the recipient of the Don Redman Heritage Award. On October 17, 2008, Cobb was one of six artists to receive the 2009 National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters award.

Personal life and death

Cobb was married to Eleana Steinberg Cobb until his death. Together, they had two daughters, Serena and Jaime, both of whom survived him.
Cobb died on May 24, 2020, at his home in Manhattan. He was 91 and had been suffering from lung cancer.

Discography

Source:

As leader

With Pepper Adams-Donald Byrd Quintet
With Peter and Will Anderson
With Cannonball Adderley
With Nat Adderley
With Toshiko Akiyoshi
  • Toshiko Mariano and Her Big Band
With Lorez Alexandria
  • Alexandria the Great
  • More of the Great Lorez Alexandria
With Geri Allen
  • Timeless Portraits and Dreams
With Dorothy Ashby
  • Soft Winds
With Kenny Barron and John Hicks
  • Rhythm-a-Ning
With Walter Benton
  • Out of This World
With Walter Bishop Jr.
  • The Walter Bishop Jr. Trio / 1965
With Nick Brignola
  • Burn Brigade
With Paul Chambers
With Al Cohn
  • Son of Drum Suite
With John Coltrane
  • Standard Coltrane
  • Stardust
  • Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane
  • Bahia
  • Giant Steps
  • Coltrane Jazz
With Miles Davis
With Joey DeFrancesco
With Kenny Dorham
With Kenny Drew
With Ricky Ford
With Curtis Fuller
With Benny Golson
With Paul Gonsalves
With Bunky Green
With Bill Hardman
With Joe Henderson
With John Hendricks
With John Hicks and Elise Wood
With Wynton Kelly
With Hubert Laws
With Johnny Lytle
With Harold Mabern
With Pat Martino
With Ronnie Mathews
With Billy Mitchell
With Wes Montgomery
With Frank Morgan
With Art Pepper
With Jimmy Raney
With Sonny Red
With Shirley Scott
With Wayne Shorter
With Don Sleet
With Sonny Stitt
With Teri Thornton
With Bobby Timmons
With Norris Turney
With Phil Upchurch
With Sarah Vaughan
With Cedar Walton
With Dinah Washington
With C. I. Williams