Billy Cobham: Spectrum

As a member of John McLaughlin's groundbreaking Mahavishnu Orchestra, powerhouse percussionist Billy Cobham took jazz-rock drumming to astonishing new heights. Spectrum, Cobham's debut recording as a leader, finds him stripping away much of Mahavishnu's pomp and bombast, replacing them with straightforward R&B and hard rock elements, thus expanding fusion in important - and listener-friendly - new directions. Lean and funky, yet fairly bursting with dynamic energy, Spectrum provides plenty of room for displays of Cobham's speed, power, and precision while also featuring exceptional, and highly influential, work by Mahavishnu keyboardist Jan Hammer and the ill-fated rock guitarist Tommy Bolin.