Jimmy Cobb - A Self-Taught
Teacher
Skidmore
College's Summer Jazz Institute draws world class music
talent to supplement outstanding faculty giving attendees
an unparalleled learning opportunity. While the main purpose
of bringing these artists to campus is teaching, those same
musicians do what musicians do when they get together, play
music. Visiting musicians give a free concert for all in the
evening. In this era of wallet-denting ticket prices, it is
amazing that great music is still available to the public
for free.
This year, one of the visiting faculty was legendary
drummer Jimmy Cobb. Although online biographies of the drummer
emphasize his self-taught roots, Mr. Cobb attended the 2004
Institute as a teacher.
Jimmy Cobb is more defined by the recordings
he has played on, the people he has played with, than by a
pronounced style of playing. As one reviewer puts it, he is,
"more
concerned with making the music swing than in shining the
spotlight..."
To be sure, Cobb played on arguably the most
famous jazz recording ever, "Kind of Blue", the
groundbreaking album lead by Miles Davis. Cobb's understated
style of drumming makes the Kind of Blue recording the classic
that it is. To quote one bio of Cobb, "it's
hard to imagine how Miles Davis's legendary Kind of Blue sessions
could have turned out with such elegant clarity if not for
the tasteful restraint and keen sense of color and dynamics
Jimmy Cobb brought to these jazz haikus."
Cobb brought his elegant and energetic style
to Skidmore college for an hour and a half set. His mob ncluded
sax player Eric Alexander, Guitarist Peter Bernstein, Richard
Wyands on piano, Bassist John Webber and Cobb on drums. The
74 year old leader kept his group moving and together throughout.
He showed more energy and effort than many musicians half
his age. It is really an honor to have heard one of the great
players of a generation move his art forward.
Photographer's Notes
All shots were taken with a Canon Digital Rebel
with a Canon 28mm-135mm IS USM lens. Exposure settings were
ISO 800, 1/20-1/30 sec. at f3.5-5.6. The camera was set on
Tv mode with shutter speed locked in at either 1/20 or 1/30
of a second.
All exposures are hand held with available light.
No flash was used. The Canon lens's Image Stabilization system
performed flawlessly. It was frequently difficult to find
times where the players themselves were motionless for the
length of the open shutter.
PBS
bio
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