Billy Cobham’s Crosswinds Project: a Master Class and Masterpiece
All photographs by kind permission of Jeffrey Moellering / Snapzalot.com
Billy Cobham and his cohorts put on an absolute master class Saturday night, September 21, at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo, Florida. this show was part of the current round of dates for Cobham’s Crosswinds Project which debuted in 2017. The addition of Randy Brecker to the band has been special, since Cobham and Brecker first recorded together in 1969 with Horace Silver, formed the band Dreams in 1970, and recorded Crosswinds in 1974.
The band stretched out each song to allow maximum opportunities for the members of the band to shine. Notably, on the opening “Crosswind” (note: it is singular on the original album, plural on the new album), Cobham had Paul Hanson solo first. Hanson plays soprano saxophone, but his primary instrument is bassoon, and this gave Hanson the chance to show (almost) everyone that whatever they thought they knew about the bassoon was wrong. Hanson was brilliant all night.
A recent change has brought Oz Ezzeldin to the band on keyboards, and he was nothing short of spectacular. His first solo was on synths, but he also dazzled on electric piano, piano, and organ. Brecker also took a fine solo, his sound processed to sound almost like a synthesizer. And guitarist Fareed Haque was simply brilliant all evening. Ezzeldin took a second spin before the end of the song.
The first four songs of the set were from the album 1974 Crosswinds and are also on the brand new album Time Lapse Photos, which is not currently available except at shows; the band just received them the other day. Next up was the wickedly funky “The Pleasant Pheasant,” just mind-blowing. Hanson switched to soprano and soloed first. That was a moment, watching him play the solo in the space first created by the late Michael Brecker. Ezzeldin swirled on synths, with two short features from Cobham sandwiched around a great ensemble section, then Brecker on a very synth-pedal-effect trumpet, leading to that stunning ensemble coda.
Cobham then came down from his drum stand to speak to us about the band, the project, what we just heard, and what was coming. He explained we would hear “Savannah the Serene” as an intro to “Spanish Moss”; both are part of “Spanish Moss – ‘A Sound Portrait’.”Ezzeldin again vied for MVP with the keyboard-centric “Savannah the Serene,” eventually leading to more beauty with Hanson back on bassoon, Brecker on gorgeous muted trumpet, Haque, Hanson very synth-like, andEzzeldin on electric piano. Cobham then stretched out for his first long and much-appreciated solo.
The drummer returned to stage front to talk about the new album, telling us we would hear the title track, “Time Lapsed Photos.” On the album, it is ten minutes long. This version was twice that and jaw-dropping. Hanson soloed first, with Brecker behind him on more muted trumpet. For the first time, we got to hear Tim Landers solo on bass, although he works so in-step with Cobham you almost don’t recognize his superb playing throughout.
Cobham had a lovely solo, as did Haque. About halfway through, Landers and Cobham suddenly shoved it into double-time, the tempo swinging. It was like a game of pepper (baseball), with the horns, Haque, and Ezzeldin tossing it back and forth; it was tough to keep track! The ensemble section was masterful, then Haque, Hanson (switching to soprano), and Landers taking another round.
Haque grabbed an acoustic guitar and sat down, Cobham with brushes in hand making a brief initial statement before turning Haque loose. Haque later explained that he invents this intro each time they play this song. When the band came in, Hanson (bassoon) and Ezzeldin (electric piano) were in lockstep. Cobham again came to the front to tell us about his love for the baobab tree, which provided him with the song’s title: “Under the Baobab Tree.”
To this point, “Time Lapsed Photos” might have been the set highlight, but leave it to Cobham and band to top themselves with the closing “Conundrum.” It began with an amazing Cobham feature. This wasn’t just a display of prowess such as you’ve seen from some drummers; this was a cohesive, tremendous solo. Haque, Brecker, and Hanson all had features, but it was the ensemble work of the band here that was truly astonishing, especially having bassoon, trumpet, guitar, and keyboards playing as a unit.
At the conclusion, Cobham once more thanked the roaring crowd for coming and supporting his music, promising to get back to Florida more often. He and Brecker then went to the lobby and patiently met more than one hundred fans and signed CDs and other memorabilia.
WE’RE GOING TO HOLD YOU TO THAT PROMISE, MR. COBHAM!
[09.21.19: Crosswind, The Pleasant Pheasant, Savannah the Serene > Spanish Moss, Time Lapsed Photos, Under the Baobab Tree, Conundrum]
The band’s show on Wednesday, September 18, was recorded by nugs.tv; you can find a link to that show and album information here. We also had the opportunity to interview Cobham Friday while the band was on the bus heading south from Washington DC; you can read the interview here.
