Billy Cobham at 80
Legendary jazz-fusion drummer Billy Cobham celebrates his 80th birthday in this electrifying new collaboration with Guy Barker and the full BBC Concert Orchestra.
Last few tickets
‘What is life but a spectrum,’ asks Cobham, ‘and what is music but life itself?’
If you’ve been anywhere near the jazz scene in the last 50 years, Cobham needs no introduction. He’s one of the most energising and transformative drummers in modern jazz – working with legends as varied as Miles Davis and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Meanwhile, in albums such as Spectrum, he’s redefined the way we listen. In his 80th birthday year the BBC Concert Orchestra is thrilled to perform with him tonight, along with longtime colleague (and lifelong fan) Guy Barker – and to help him realise a long-cherished ambition.
‘During the last decade he has expressed a big desire to perform his music with a large orchestra,’ says Barker, who’s created new orchestrations of repertoire including ‘Red Baron’, ‘Spectrum’, ‘Crosswinds’, ‘Stratus’ and ‘A Funky Thide of Sings’. ‘Finally we will have the chance to do this,’ he says. Be there.
Performers
BBC Concert Orchestra
Guy Barker conductor
Billy Cobham drums
Repertoire
Programme includes: Red Baron, Spectrum, Crosswinds, Stratus, A Funky Thide of Sings
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
20 Nov 2024, 7.30pm
Run time
2 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £15.00*
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
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For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
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Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to our glass-fronted Concrete Cafe, the ideal spot to recharge, or catch up with friends, whilst the bustle of Central London and the River Thames carries on around you.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.