Billy Cobham-George Duke Band / Live Anthology (2CD+1DVD)

Mid-70s, Billy Cobham, George "Live On Tour In Europe" was released by Duke, two of the most iconic jazz rock figures of the time. Featuring Alphonso Johnson, who had just left Weather Report, and the up-and-coming John Scofield, this duo's live recordings have been largely unavailable until now, save for the aforementioned official album, which features their performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1976. However, these rare live recordings, once lost to history, have finally been released! Disc 1 features a mixer leak from the February 18th LA show, while Disc 2 features the March 19th New York show. Both shows are recorded with high-quality stereo soundboards, and both shows are strikingly rich in the jam-like elements of the live performances. It's unfortunate that the middle section of the LA show is missing from the master, but given the rarity of the recordings, this shouldn't be a problem. As a bonus DVD, it includes high-quality pro-shot footage from Montreux on July 6th, which was also used for the official CD take.