Jimmy Cobb
b. 20 January 1929, Washington DC, USA. A self-taught drummer, Cobb gained a great deal of experience working in his home town behind such visiting jazz artists as Charlie Rouse, Leo Parker and Billie Holiday. In 1951 he joined Earl Bostic and later that year married and became musical director for Dinah Washington. In the mid-50, now located in New York, Cobb worked with many leading jazz players including Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and Stan Getz and in 1958 he began a five-year period with Miles Davis. During a large part of the '60s Cobb was with Wynton Kelly after whose death he began a long association as Sarah Vaughan's regular drummer. A dynamic, aggressive player in the mould of such leading hard bop drummers as Kenny Clarke and Art Blakey, Cobb is a welcome member of any band in which he plays and a constant encouragement to his front line.