Most people know Bill Cosby from The Cosby Show and his rather goofy sense of humour but few know of the other side of the Cos.

When he wasn’t busy performing stand up, making controversial statements about Black America or being impersonated by Eddie Murphy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7nNLotYdOE), he sometimes made some incredibly deep jazz.

Bill Cosby – Martin’s Funeral

(from Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band)

This track is rumoured to have been written the day after Martin Luther King, Jr’s funeral. Cosby had attended and spent time with King’s children and was moved to write this song in recognition of the event.

I can listen to this song for hours on end. It’s a tune to get lost in. A swirl of heavy percussion is underpinned with a repetitive bass line and Bill’s electric piano compliments it perfectly. The mournful tone of the song conveys the sense of grief that Cosby must have felt on this terrible occasion. If you haven’t heard it before then prepare to be overwhelmed.