Billy Cobham's Time Machine in Middelheim

With his rare combination of power and precision, Billy Cobham has been one of the uncontested major figures of jazz and fusion for the last five decades. In Time Machine, he looks back on his music from the 1970s, with a particular focus on the album Total Eclipse — but far from a simple nostalgia trip, this project puts those time-tested compositions in dialogue with new creations, conserving their finely wrought architecture while leaving ample room for improvisation.

Since bursting on the scene in the 1970s thanks to his collaborations with Miles Davis and his founding role in the fusion band Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham has played a key role in shaping a new direction for jazz-rock, one driven by complex structures and electric intensity. Onstage, his playing is as powerful as ever, blending pristine polyrhythms and rock-solid grooves. This concert at Jazz Middelheim 2026 represents a precious piece of jazz history, deploying virtuosity in the service of structure and placing rhythmic exploration at the heart of musicmaking.