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Jimmy Cobb
Jimmy Cobb
	Cobb drumming c. 2008
Background information
Birth name	Wilbur James Cobb
Born	January 20, 1929; Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	May 24, 2020 (aged 91); Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Drummer
Years active	1949–2020

Wilbur James "Jimmy" Cobb (January 20, 1929 – May 24, 2020) was an American jazz drummer.^[1] He was part of Miles Davis's First Great Sextet. At the time of his death, he had been the Sextet'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.^[2]^[3] Before he began his music career, he listened to jazz albums and stayed awake into the late hours of the night to listen to Symphony Sid broadcasting from New York City.^[4] Raised Catholic, he was also exposed to Church music.^[5]

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,^[3]^[6] bassist Keter Betts,^[7] Frank Wess,^[8] Leo Parker, and Charlie Rouse.^[9] His website also recounts his gigs with Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, and Dizzy Gillespie that took place before 1957.^[3]

Career

Cobb joined Miles Davis in 1958 as part of the latter's First Great Sextet,^[3] after Adderley recommended him to Davis.^[10] Cobb's best known recorded work is on Davis' Kind of Blue (1959).^[11]^[12] Cobb was the last surviving player from the sessions, a distinction that, after Davis's death in 1991, he held for almost three decades.^[2] He also played on other Davis albums, including Sketches of Spain (1960), Someday My Prince Will Come (1961), Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (1962), In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete, and briefly on Porgy and Bess (1959) and Sorcerer.^[2]^[3] His subtle and understated demeanor drew the admiration of many including Davis.^[2]^[13] However, this also meant that he did not get the same level of recognition that his fellow drummers would.^[2] Cobb had the propensity to eschew publicity and did not record his first set as bandleader until 1983,^[14] with the release of So Nobody Else Can Hear.^[6]

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 toured and recorded as a trio, and also worked with Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, J. J. Johnson and others. Chambers died in 1969, though Kelly and Cobb had occasionally used other bassists in the late 1960s as Chambers' health declined. Kelly died in 1971.^[15] Cobb went on to join the Great Jazz Trio, together with Hank Jones on piano and Eddie Gómez on bass.^[13] He also toured with Sarah Vaughan during the 1970s,^[13]^[15] and taught at Stanford University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Berklee College of Music.^[13] He played in a tribute band called "4 Generations of Miles", together with Ron Carter (bass), Mike Stern (guitar), and George Coleman (tenor saxophone).^[16]

During his career, Cobb worked with Bill Evans,^[13] Clark Terry, Stan Getz,^[10] John Coltrane,^[6] Wes Montgomery, Art Pepper, Wayne Shorter,^[14] Benny Golson,^[2] 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,^[17] Fathead Newman,^[18] Geri Allen,^[19] Larry Willis, Walter Booker,^[20]^[21] Red Garland,^[22] Richie Cole,^[9] Ernie Royal, Jerome Richardson, Jimmy Cleveland, Philly Joe Jones,^[23] Sonny Stitt, Nancy Wilson, Ricky Ford,^[8] Richard Wyands, John Webber, and Peter Bernstein,^[24] among many others.^[14]

Awards

In June 2008, Jimmy Cobb was the recipient of the Don Redman Heritage Award.^[25] On October 17, 2008, Cobb was one of six artists to receive the 2009 National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters award.^[26]

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.^[2]

Cobb died on May 24, 2020, at his home in Manhattan. He was 91 and had been suffering from lung cancer.^[2]

Discography

Source:^[27]

As leader/co-leader

So Nobody Else Can Hear (Contempo Vibrato, 1983) – recorded in 1981
Encounter with Ada Montellanico (Philology, 1994)
Only for the Pure of Heart (Fable/Lightyear, 1998) – live
Four Generations of Miles: A Live Tribute to Miles with George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter (Chesky, 2002)
Jimmy Cobb Trio (Azzurra Music, 2002)
Cobb's Groove (Milestone, 2003)
Yesterdays (RteesanCobb Music, 2003)
Taking a Chance on Love featuring Marco Tamburini (Sound Hills, 2004)
Tribute to Wynton Kelly & Paul Chambers (Sound Hills, 2004)
Cobb Is Back in Italy! (Azzurra Music, 2005)
Marsalis Music Honors Series: Jimmy Cobb (Marsalis/Rounder, 2006) – recorded in 2005
New York Time (Chesky, 2006)
Cobb's Corner (Chesky, 2007)
Jazz in the Key of Blue (Chesky, 2009)
Live at Smalls (Smallslive, 2010)
Remembering Miles 'Tribute to Miles Davis' (Sony Music, 2011)
The Original Mob (Smoke Sessions, 2014)
The Super Trio, Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise with Massimo Farao, Ron Carter (Venus, 2018)
This I Dig of You (Smoke Sessions, 2019) – live
Remembering U featuring Roy Hargrove (Jimmy Cobb World, 2019) – recorded in 2016

As sideman

With Cannonball Adderley

Sophisticated Swing (EmArcy, 1956)
Cannonball Enroute (EmArcy, 1957)
Cannonball's Sharpshooters (EmArcy, 1958)
Jump for Joy (EmArcy, 1958)
Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago (Mercury, 1959)
Cannonball Takes Charge (Riverside, 1959)

With Nat Adderley

That's Right! (Riverside, 1960)
On the Move (Theresa, 1983)
Blue Autumn (Theresa, 1983)
We Remember Cannon (In + Out, 1989)
Autumn Leaves (Sweet Basil, 1990)
Talkin' About You (Landmark, 1991) – recorded in 1990
Work Song: Live at Sweet Basil (Sweet Basil, 1993) – recorded in 1990

With Lorez Alexandria

Alexandria the Great (Impulse!, 1964)
More of the Great Lorez Alexandria (Impulse!, 1964)

With John Coltrane

Standard Coltrane (Prestige, 1962) – recorded in 1958
Stardust (Prestige, 1963) – recorded in 1958
Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane (Prestige, 1963) – recorded in 1958
Bahia (Prestige, 1965) – recorded in 1958
Giant Steps (on "Naima" only, Atlantic, 1960) – recorded in 1959
Coltrane Jazz (Atlantic, 1961) – recorded in 1959–60

With Miles Davis

Porgy and Bess (Columbia, 1959) – recorded in 1958
1958 Miles (CBS/Sony, 1974) – recorded in 1958
Jazz at the Plaza (Columbia, 1973) – recorded in 1958
Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959)
Sketches of Spain (Columbia, 1960) – recorded in 1959–60
Someday My Prince Will Come (Columbia, 1961)
In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete (Columbia, 2003) – recorded in 1961
Miles & Monk at Newport (Columbia, 1964) – recorded in 1958–63
Miles Davis at Newport 1955–1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia Legacy, 2015) – recorded in 1955–75

With Ricky Ford

Flying Colors (Muse, 1980)
Tenor for the Times (Muse, 1981)
Interpretations (Muse, 1982)
Future's Gold (Muse, 1983)
Shorter Ideas (Muse, 1984)
Saxotic Stomp (Muse, 1987)

With Benny Golson

Pop + Jazz = Swing (Audio Fidelity, 1961) – also released as Just Jazz!
Turning Point (Mercury, 1962)

With Joe Henderson

Four (Verve, 1994) – recorded in 1968
Straight, No Chaser (Verve, 1996) – recorded in 1968

With Hank Jones

The Great Jazz Trio, Threesome (Eastworld, 1982)
The Great Jazz Trio, What's New (Eastworld, 1982)
The Great Jazz Trio, The Club New Yorker (Denon, 1983)
The Great Jazz Trio, Ambrosia (Denon, 1983)
The Great Jazz Trio, N.Y.Sophisticate: a Tribute to Duke Ellington (Denon, 1984)
The Great Jazz Trio, Monk's Mood (Denon, 1984)
West of 5th (Chesky, 2006)