The Chamber Wind Music of Jack Cooper

The Chamber Wind Music of
Jack Cooper
Studio album by Jack Cooper
and various artists
Released May 1, 2010
Recorded November 2007-June 2009, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre Classical, Chamber Music, New Music, instrumental, Jazz
Length 63:30
Label Centaur Records
Producer Jack Cooper
Jack Cooper
and various artists chronology
Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter
(2003)		 The Chamber Wind Music of Jack Cooper
(2010)
cat. #, Centaur CRC 3027

The Chamber Wind Music of Jack Cooper is the first classical/new music studio recording featuring numerous performing artists recording chamber wind music of the composer on the Centaur Records label.

Contents

Background

In 2006 it was decided a CD would be produced as a collaboration between Centaur Records and resources housed at the University of Memphis. Centaur Records agreed to have a CD completed for their label of either chamber wind works or chamber string/piano works; not a mix or both so to avoid a conflict in programming and marketing. Artists were selected based on virtuoso musicianship and familiarity with the composer's work; being able to play both written and improvised passages at a high musical level.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Jack Cooper. 

No. Title Length
1. "Sonata for Trombone, Mov. I - Mambo"   2:56
2. "Sonata for Trombone, Mov. II - Solo"   4:57
3. "Sonata for Trombone, Mov. III - Afro Latin in 12/8"   4:44
4. "Sonata for Alto Saxophone, Mov. I - Latin 12/8, swing"   5:10
5. "Sonata for Alto Saxophone, Mov. II - Slow/faster/slow"   3:10
6. "Sonata for Alto Saxophone, Mov. III - Up Tempo, a la Tristano"   3:45
7. "Fives Scenes for Brass Quintet, Mov. I - Fanfare"   1:35
8. "Fives Scenes for Brass Quintet, Mov. II - Somberly"   5:04
9. "Fives Scenes for Brass Quintet, Mov. III - Fugue"   2:12
10. "Fives Scenes for Brass Quintet, Mov. IV - Shapes, Forms, Shadows"   4:17
11. "Fives Scenes for Brass Quintet, Mov. V - Afro-Latin"   3:58
12. "Sonata for Clarinet, Mov. I - Latin 9/8"   5:10
13. "Sonata for Clarinet, Mov. II - a la Satie"   3:10
14. "Sonata for Clarinet, Mov. III - Presto"   3:45
15. "One of the Missing (for those lost in Iraq)"   5:18
Total length:
 63:30

Recording Sessions

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Promotion and works from the compact disc

Interviews were done in 2010 for WKNO-FM NPR Radio and WUMR Radio about the recording. The works from the CD have been played and featured at numerous concert venues in North and South American (U.S.A., Canada, Brazil), primarily by the artists who commissioned each work. [1][2][3] The euphonium work One of the Missing was commissioned by John Mueller and is strong protest piece that both Cooper and Mueller felt very compelled to present in oppostion to the Iraq War.[4][5] The recording of the Trombone Sonata (and manuscript) is one of the main subjects in a dissertation written by Mr. Anthony Williams (music professor, University of Mary) on style and approach to four prominent 20th/21st Century solo trombone works: Alec Wilder - Sonata for Trombone and Piano, Richard Peaslee - Arrows of Time[6] , William Goldstein - Colloquy for solo trombone[7] , Jack Cooper - Sonata For Trombone[8]. All brass works (trombone, brass quintet, euphonium) from the recording are currently published with Brassworks 4 Publishing.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Fanfare Magazine (very positive) [9]
American Record Guide (positive) [10]
emusic [11]
WRUV (positive) [12]
The Horn Call (luke warm/positive) [13]
ICA, The Clarinet (very positive) [14]

"...the purpose of this (recording) is to broaden the stylistic range of concert chamber music; a breaking-down of barriers...Collectors wishing to savor jazz served in classical mugs will find this an interesting release."

Ronald E. Grames, Fanfare Magazine[9]

"Most enjoyable...are the two woodwind sonatas...The outer movements are lively and full of improvisatory exuberence, the (slow movement) allows (Paul) Haar to show his contemplative side. In the Clarinet Sonata, Cedric Mayfield's high-register tone is never shrill, and his playing is impressive in both noted and improvised music."

Barry Kilpatrick, American Record Guide[10]

"...of all of the compositions on this CD I most enjoyed One of the Missing (for those lost in Iraq), is soulfully performed by John Mueller on euphonium. To me, it had the most musical depth and expressive qualities."

Calvin Smith, The Horn Call[13]

"...an engaging musical experience in the hands of these performers, who are stylistically so attuned to this music and so in command of their instruments."

William Nichols, ICA Journal/The Clarinet[14]

References

  1. ^ XII° Congrès Mondial du Saxophone, July 9th, 2000, World Premiere of the Sonata for Alto Sax (Université du Québec à Montréal) Montréal, Québec, Canada
  2. ^ The Sonata for Trombone performed at the Eastern Trombone Workshop on March 16th, 2011 in Washington D.C., Michael Davidson - trombone soloist
  3. ^ Memphis Brass Quintet performing the Scenes for Brass Quintet at the Festival Virtuosi, Recife, Brazil, Dec. 2007
  4. ^ Premiere of One Of The Missing at the ITEA International Conference in Cincinatti, Ohio, 2008
  5. ^ NOTE: Both Cooper and Mueller served in the United States Army
  6. ^ Arrows of Time, Schirmer catalogue rental
  7. ^ Colloquy, Presser catalogue #446-41174P and #446-41174L
  8. ^ Brassworks 4 Publishing catalogue #BW463
  9. ^ a b Fanfare Magazine, Ronald Grames review, Jan/Feb 2011, 34:3
  10. ^ a b American Record Guide, Barry Kilpatrick review, July/August 2010
  11. ^ emusic rating
  12. ^ WRUV Review, Laima review, March 2nd, 2010
  13. ^ a b The Horn Call, Calvin Smith review, Oct. 1, 2010
  14. ^ a b The Clarinet, International Clarinet Association, William Nichols review, Dec. 2010, Vol. 38, #1

External Links