“Kind of Blue” Drummer, Jimmy Cobb, Has Died At The Age Of 91

The legendary drummer and the last surviving member of the famed Kind of Blue ensemble led by Miles Davis, has died at the age of 91. Cobb reportedly died on Sunday, May 24th, and the cause of death is currently unknown.

Born Wilbur James Cobb in Washington DC, was best known throughout his career as the drummer who recorded the classic Kind of Blue album in 1959. The album featured Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, and Cobb. Cobb also played on Sketches of Spain, Someday My Prince will Come, Live at Carnegie Hall, Live at the Blackhawk and Porgy and Bess with Miles Davis.

In 2008, Cobb received the NEA Jazz Masters Award, the highest award for jazz musicians in the United States.
Other artists with whom Cobb has worked include John Coltrane, Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughan, Benny Golson, Dinah Washington and Wes Montgomery.

In February, the daughter of Jimmy Cobb had launched an online fundraiser to help her father with medical issues that caused physical and financial challenges for the legendary jazz drummer.
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“He’s dedicated the last 70 years of his life to the art of jazz, and although there’s nothing he’d rather do than continue to support himself and his family while doing what he loves, it has become far too difficult of a task,” Serena Cobb wrote at the time.
Cobb’s lasting legacy will be in remembrance of “Kind of Blue” that spawned a life as one of jazz’s greatest drummers.
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