I saw 90% of the 1st set last night at The Dakota, of Billy Cobham's band play CROSSWINDS.
He played I believe most if not the entire Crosswinds album.
His band consisted of
Billy Cobham (drums)
Fareed Haque (guitar)
Tim Landers (bass)
Osam Elelwy (keyboard)
Paul Hanson (bassoon)
Randy Brecker (trumpet) – Special Guest
Crosswinds
Spanish Moss – 'A Sound Portrait'
The Pleasant Pheasant
Heather
Crosswind
Under the Baobab Tree
Snoopy's Search
I may be missing a track or 2, but then again, I arrived at like 7:10, so I missed the 1st 10 minutes or so.
Great to see Billy again, my 1st time since 2013 (my only other time seeing him live). He has such an addictive snare tone, like none-other, I sometimes just get lost in hearing it.
Fareed Haque and especially Randy Brecker were also a very big deal to see, playing with Billy. The Crosswinds album I'll admit to owning, but never listening to, per I have it only on Vinyl. I think I bought it for like $2 or $3 in fact. But it is the album that follows Spectrum, and the 1st cut "Spanish Moss" is a side-long epic, which for that alone I am guilty to have slept on.
I mean every piece they played last night had great, chilling, goosebump moments even beyond Billy's solos. Although I literally was in the FRONT ROW 15 feet away from him. At 75 years old or whatever he is, he still pulls this stuff off. And I didn't want to miss him again given who knows how many times, if ever, he'll be back.
THE DAKOTA: I'll be as tactful as I can be. But let's just say the amount of Elbow Room and close-proximity to the table I was sitting at almost made the Minnesota Zoo's amphitheater seem less claustrophobic.
And the fact someone actually was sitting in the Seat I paid for, lol. I found the seat I did at the same table and didn't bother telling the other person they were in my seat. I mean I arrived 10 minutes after the show started, but that still is no excuse.
That and the crowd seemed to be mostly Businessmen who probably have never heard a Mahavishnu Orchestra record in their life. The usual Dakota customer who comes to dine and has more money than they know what to do with.
It's fine, but it still pales in comparison to the experiences I used to love among the Jazz fanatics when they were located in Bandana Square or the group that would show up at the old Artist Quarter.
But so be it. I still got to see Billy Cobham again, maybe my favorite or 2nd favorite Jazz drummer (with respect to Mr. Wertico).
