Jack Cooper (musician)
| Jack Cooper | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) Jack Cooper, 2002 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Thomas Cooper, Jr. |
| Born |
May 14, 1963 Whittier, California |
| Origin |
 La Habra, California |
| Genres |
Jazz Classical Pop |
| Occupations | Multireedist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, music director, producer, educator |
| Instruments |
Saxophones Clarinets Flutes |
| Years active | 1981- |
| Labels |
Summit Centaur Select-O-Hits |
| Associated acts |
The Jazz Knights Warner Brothers Publishing Alfred Music Publishing |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Saxophone Clarinet | |
Jack Cooper (born John Thomas Cooper Jr., May 14, 1963, Whittier, Ca.) is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, multireedist, and music educator. Most notably he has written music for well-known and Grammy winning pop, jazz, and classical artists to include Aaron Neville,[1] Joyce Cobb,[2] Donald Brown,[2] Alexis Cole, Tony Campise, Bobby Shew,[3] Christian McBride,[4] the Westchester Jazz Orchestra,[5] the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, the Dallas Wind Symphony,[6] and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. His catalogue of music is extensive ranging from jazz through contemporary classical; he has worked for Columbia Pictures Publishing, Warner Brothers, and Alfred Music as a staff arranger since 1993.[7] His writing style is summed up as, "...propulsive and sassy on an initial listen, revealing subtle shadings and intricate nuances upon repeated listening. I might have guessed Don Sebesky...on a blindfold test."[8]
Early life, musical education and influences
Jack Cooper was born in Whittier, California on May 14, 1963, he was raised in nearby La Habra. He is the younger brother of artist and stylist Cathy Cooper and also the grandson (x4) of Mrs. Harriet Blanton Theobald, “Mother of Greenville.”[9] His mother, Georgie Cooper, was an accomplished classical pianist and he served as her page turner on piano and organ jobs.[10] His father was an amateur clarinet and sax player who gave Cooper his first instruments. First musically inspired by clarinetist Artie Shaw at age eleven, he later was taken by Charlie Parker's playing on the alto sax from his dad's 78's; he took up the flute in college.[11]
After graduating from Sonora High School and having first studied with Ernie Del Fante, Cooper attended Fullerton College where he studied composition and arranging with Tom Ranier and saxophone with Dave Edwards and Don Raffell.[12] While at Fullerton College he recorded on the Down Beat award winning LP, Time Tripping playing saxophone and woodwinds in FC's collegiate jazz groups. He later transferred to California State University, Los Angeles where he received a B.A. in Music education and clarinet in 1987 having studied with Vito Susca. Cooper also studied jazz composition with and was heavily influenced by Stan Kenton's former staff arranger Bob Curnow. "Since college, when I first began studying big band musical arrangements, (I) wanted to orchestrate for jazz ensembles."[13] Two years later he completed a M.A. in composition at C.S.U.L.A. and had additional study with Byoung-Kon Kim, William Hill, and David Caffey.[14] Cooper was classmates at C.S.U.L.A. and worked closely with both Eric "Bobo" Correa and Grammy winning trombonist Luis Bonilla; he has collaborated on several musical projects over the last 20 years with Bonilla.
Later composition studies were with David Baker, Gerald Wilson,[15] Manny Albam, Karl Korte, and Richard Lawn; in 1999 he earned a D.M.A. in composition from the University of Texas at Austin.[16][17]
His first notable professional work in Los Angeles as a multireedist was with the Kingsmen, Shari Lewis, Mateos Parseghian, the Tak Shindo Orchestra, Si Zentner, Steve Jam, the Dive, and the Last Mile.[7]
Armed forces and the West Point Jazz Knights
At age 25 (in 1989) Jack Cooper won an audition to work as a saxophonist and staff arranger for the United States Army Jazz Knights stationed at West Point, 40 minutes north of New York City.[18] For 6 years he toured, performed, and recorded extensively with the West Point Band's musical group to include A&E television appearances at the Hatch Memorial Shell with the Boston Pops, jazz festivals across the Northeastern United States, backing entertainers and jazz artists such as Bob Newhart, Lee Greenwood, Pete Yellin, Chris Vadala, Byron Stripling, and playing on and writing for demos and studio recordings.[7] He participated in the funeral of former President Richard M. Nixon in April 1994;[19] he was awarded the Army Commendation and Achievement medals while also rising to the rank of staff sergeant.
During this period in New York through 1995 he worked extensively backing other entertainers and artists such as Tony Martin, The Lettermen, Clint Holmes, Fred Travalena, Dennis Wolfberg, and worked as arranger and saxophonist for 3 years with the band Alma Latina.
Professional career
As instrumentalist
For close to 30 years Cooper has played woodwind instruments on a wide range of assignments. The list of credits for television, recordings, live shows, and Broadway is extensive. The diversity of work in more recent years include backing Jennifer Holiday, Kenny Rogers, Macy Gray, Manhattan Transfer, Glen Campbell, Mitch Ryder (and Detroit Wheels) and playing woodwinds on national tours for the Producers, Sweet Charity, and A Chorus Line among many others.[7] He is known primarily as a "lead alto player" and has been able to demonstrate this through his work with the Tommy Dorsey Orchetra, the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, and the Temptations.[20][21] The 2009 CD release Coming Through Slaughter: The Bolden Legend demostrates his lead playing as a multireedist with very challenging repertiore in the jazz idiom. He has also been a featured guest artist/soloist at the Western States Jazz Festival,[22] the Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival (U.K.),[23] the 45th International Horn Symposium,[24] and the Festival Virtuosi (2007) in Recife, Brazil.[25]
Cooper's emphasis on classical playing and repertoire is also important to what his musical career entails as a performer. He has been a featured artist and solist with the Hot Springs Festival Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the IRIS Symphony Orchestra.[26] He is amongst a small group of musicians who have a playing career being able to cross over from jazz to classical to pop on several woodwind instruments.
As composer (highlights)
As a composer and arranger Cooper has had a wide and varied career since first writing music in the early 1980s. The large catalogue of works includes solo instrumental pieces all the way through full symphonic works for orchestra and singers; the list of published works alone is over 150. He was hired in 1992 as a staff arranger for Columbia Pictures Publishing/Belwin; his television and media music writing credits include the The Jenny Jones Show, Danish Radio 2 (DR P2), E! Entertainment shows, Access Hollywood, JBVO: Your All Request Cartoon Show, American Restoration, Deal or No Deal, and Extra.[27] His music has been featured at numerous venues around the world to include the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival.[28]
Since December 1998 he has been the musical director, composer and chief arranger for the Jazz Orchestra of the Delta; in 2003 they produced the internationally acclaimed CD Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter featuring Cooper's original compositions and arrangements. Singer Sandra Dudley is utilized as the primary singer for the group. The CD includes commissions he had written for Gary Foster and Peter Erskine; Marvin Stamm serves as the guest soloist on this release.[7] He also serves as the musical director and chief arranger for Kathy Kosins and her show Rhapsody in Boop.
Serving as both composer and musical director, in February 2006 Cooper collaborated with award winning choreographer Mark Godden to produce the ballet Two Jubilees.[7] His musical influence on the ballet as composer and musical director was praised and showed his versatily as a prolific artist. Critic Christopher Blank commented, "...if one were to consider a title that better unified the program's two very different ballets, a fitting substitute would be 'Jazz Orchestra of the Delta,' or even just the word 'Cooper.' Performing live for the dancers, the excellent 17-piece ensemble founded by Jack Cooper...was a marvelous treat midway through the ballet's (sic) season..."[13][29]
Though his catalogue has a great deal of varied music his first love for writing a still in the jazz orchestra, big band genre.[13] His big band writing has been featured with many groups internationally on the professional and educational levels, "...this style of jazz music (sic) is my wheel house of expertise."[15][30]
Chamber and solo works
His Sonata for Trombone was commissioned in 1997 by the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity at the University of Texas at Austin. This work has been played by and recorded by numerous prominent trombone artists to include Luis Bonilla, Tom Brantley, Mark Hetzler, Lance Green, Chris Buckholtz, and Michael Davidson[31] (among others). The Sonata for Alto Saxophone is a seminal solo work recognized to "belong with such landmark 'jazz/classical' pieces as the Phil Woods Sonata, on any recital or concert program that explores (both) these worlds."[32] The work was commissioned by Paul Haar and first premiered at the 12th World Saxophone Congress July of 2000 in Montreal, Canada. One of the Missing - for those lost in Iraq for euphonium was commissioned in 2007 and premiered in 2008.[33] It is unique as a protest piece in showing the composer's anti-war stance against the Iraq War; the title is taken from the anti-war/Civil War short story and film adaptation of Ambrose Bierce.[34] The work was also used on the soundtrack of a 2011 Canadian television film broadcast on the Vision network.[35]
Awards and special recognition
Jack Cooper is the 2010 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in the Creative Arts Award from the UMAA.[36] He was chosen in 2003 as a nominee for the annual NARAS Premier Player Awards.[37] He is also the recipient of numerous ASCAP composer awards since 1996.[38] As a presenter he has been honored as the key-note speaker for the Modern Language Association and the scholar and main presenter for four different National Endowment for the Humanities series on American Music.[7]
Teaching and education career
As a strong advocate of music education, Jack Cooper has been teaching at the collegiate level for over the past 18 years. Before his appointment to the University of Memphis as director of jazz studies 1998, he had taught privately and worked as a clinician for the U.S. Army Jazz Knights. He has served as an invited clinician, guest artist, and conductor for the Missouri All-State Collegiate Jazz Orchestra, the Tennessee All-State High School Jazz Ensemble, and the Arizona All-State High School Jazz Ensemble.[39] He also serves as an educational clinician/artist for Alfred Music Publishing making appearances at state educational music conventions throughout the United States.[7]
Musical compositions and arrangements
- Listing of compositions and arrangements published with Alfred Publishing
- Listing of compositions and arrangements published with UNC Jazz Press
- Listing of compositions published with Brasswork 4 Publishing
- Listing of compositions and arrangements published with RGM.com
- Listing of compositions published with Increase Music
- Listing of arrangements published with Three-Two Music Publishing
Select discography
As instrumentalist
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As composer, arranger, conductor, producer (and instrumentalist on select tracks)
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Film, T.V., DVD
As instrumentalist/actor
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As composer/arranger/conductor/musical director
- 1995: Twice is Nice (UMG/FirstCom)
- 2008: Candle on the Bluff Awards (PBS, WKNO (TV))
- 2009: Candle on the Bluff Awards (PBS, WKNO (TV))
- 2011: Live At Nine (CBS) WREG
- 2012: The Art Academy (True Story Pictures)
Books, educational media, articles as reviewer
- 2005: The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Folklore (Greenwood Press) - four entries authored
- 2007: Experiencing Jazz (Routledge Publishing) - contributing author for DVD and web content[50]
- 2008: Winter Wonderland (SmartMusic)
- 2008: MTSBOA Jazz Bands 2 CD set (Heartdance Music Inc.)
- 2011: JazzTimes Magazine
- 2012: Perfectly Composed (CD ROM)[51]
- 2014: Practical Music Theory (Kendall Hunt Publishing) - chapter 19 authored[52]
Other artists worked with (partial list)
See also
- List of Jazz Arrangers
- List of Jazz Contrafacts
- Jazz Orchestra Of The Delta
- List of Concert Works for Saxophone
- Brass Quintet Répertoire
- Euphonium Répertoire
- Clarinet Sonata
References
- ↑ Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, September 30, 2011, The Shadow of Your Smile arranged for orchestra by Jack Cooper for Aaron Neville
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sparke, Jon W. BPACC Showcase flows in with tribute to Ellington, The Commercial Appeal, 28 August 2009. Jack Cooper, musical director/arranger for Joyce Cobb and Donald Brown
- ↑ Shew, Jazz Orchestra Bring Out Best in Each Other. Austin American-Statesman, 28 April 1997, pp. E3, Music for Shew by Jack Cooper, also on the 2001 CD Showcase
- ↑ McBride stresses work, luck, Austin American-Statesman, 1 April 1997, Page E2. Music for McBride by Jack Cooper, also on the 2009 CD Voices
- ↑ The Westchester Jazz Orchestra, commissioned work and premiered Sept. 24, 2005
- ↑ Scene for Brass commissioned by the Dallas Wind Symphony and premiered on September 14, 2004
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Alfred Music biographical page
- ↑ McClenaghan, Dan. All About Jazz, review, June 25, 2003
- ↑ Jack Cooper's mother is Georgie Blanton Finlay Cooper from Greenville, Mississippi who is direct lineage to Harriet Blanton Theobald
- ↑ Georgie Cooper discography at Discogs - biography page.
- ↑ Focus on the Arts WUMR Radio interview with D.J. Malvin Massey (reviewed from recording), talking about Cooper's background in music, February 2004
- ↑ Alumni Biographical page, Fullerton College Music Department
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Blank, Chistopher. Ballet Memphis takes a jazzy step -- Choreographer Mark Godden swings to a new set of beats by Big Band jazz arranger Jack Cooper. The Commercial Appeal, 10 February 2006.
- ↑ Cooper, Jack. "Solace" a Three Movement Composition for Saxophone Soloist and 18 Piece Jazz Orchestra. Los Angeles: California State University, 1989. M.A. THESIS
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Gerald is 95 now, I had studied with him in Los Angeles...", Jack Cooper. interview with Kacky Walton, Checking on the Arts, Natl. Public Radio, WKNO-FM, Memphis, 9 October 2013.
- ↑ Alumni Biographical page (jazz), The University of Texas, Butler School of Music
- ↑ Cooper, Jack T. Three Sketches for Jazz Orchestra Inspired by Charles Ives Songs. University of Texas at Austin, 1999. Thesis (D.M.A.) OCLC 44537553
- ↑ Department of the Army Enlistment and Honorable discharge records from Cooper, Jack T., orders 196-1 dated 30 November 1989 and orders 33-5, dated 22 February 1995
- ↑ CSPAN, funeral of Richard Nixon, April 1994
- ↑ Lover Man, The Memphis Jazz Orchestra, Jack Cooper, solo/lead alto sax, 2 June 2013.
- ↑ WREG-CBS, Live at Nine T.V. broadcast, Cooper playing lead alto on Summer Wind
- ↑ Western States Jazz Festival, Los Angeles, CA. clarinet and composer - guest artist on main concert, 1 March 2013
- ↑ Cooper featured with the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra, Fat Chops Big Band, Great Birmingham Trombone Company, 6-9 July, 2013
- ↑ 45th Annual Symposium of the International Horn Society, Tribute to John Graas Concert, 31 July 2013, 1:00 pm - 2:30
- ↑ Festival Virtuosi, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- ↑ Ellis, Bill. Ma, Stern Resonate Far Beyond The Musical Score, The Commercial Appeal, 20 September 2000. Cooper - alto saxophone and clarinet soloist, IRIS Orchestra
- ↑ IMDb Listing, Jack Cooper, also refer to Double Helix
- ↑ UNI Jazz Ensemble Band One, playing The Cage (arr. Jack Cooper) at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 10 July 1998
- ↑ Blank, Christopher. Spirit of jazz sets stage for tribute -- Ballet premieres divergent pieces, The Commercial Appeal, 13 February 2006.
- ↑ Yokohama Aoba Jazz Band
and Big Band de Sarreguemines 
are examples of international groups using Cooper's music. - ↑ Sonata for Trombone, Eastern Trombone Workshop, 16 March 2011, Washington D.C., Michael Davidson - trombone soloist
- ↑ Dempsey, David. Sonata for Saxophone, Saxophone Journal, Jan./Feb. 2012, pp 14
- ↑ One Of The Missing, ITEA International Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, 2008
- ↑ Today, section 2.2.4 of Euphonium Repertiore, Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
- ↑ Teens Gone Wrong, Volume 1,, T.V. series Vision of Youth Ministry, VisionTV 2011
- ↑ 2010 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in the Creative Arts Award
- ↑ Ellis, Bill. Premier Player Awards To Honor, The Commercial Appeal, 1 March 2003
- ↑ Connors, Jennie. Four U of M Music Professors Awarded ASCAP Awards, the Daily Helmsman, 9 September 2003
- ↑ Hot House arr. Jack Cooper- 2012 Arizona All State Jazz Band conducted by Jack Cooper
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 40.5 40.6 40.7 Allmusic Guide, credits, Jack Cooper
- ↑ Swingopoly at Discogs
- ↑ Track 12, Greensleeves, arr. Jack Cooper OCLC 53399565
- ↑ Track 13, The Jetsons (Main title), arr. Jack Cooper (2:06) OCLC 222998234
- ↑ Track 9, The Deciding Factor (3:29), comp. Jack Cooper OCLC 62173957
- ↑ Track 13, We're Off To See The Wizard, arr. Jack Cooper OCLC 52957242
- ↑ Track 3, Hot House arr. Jack Cooper OCLC 53109441
- ↑ Enriching Life With Jazz CD, Love For Sale, arr. Jack Cooper (4:51) OCLC 774893336
- ↑ Peanuts for Christmas - Die Big Band Der Lübecker Hochschulen, released 4. Dezember 2012, MP3 CD, Winter Wonderland, arr. Jack Cooper (4:25)
- ↑ Jack Cooper-solo tenor sax
- ↑ Experiencing jazz Students CD ROM, McGraw Hill. Content on website for Routledge Publishing OCLC 68712015 and 764304925
- ↑ U or Memphis School of Music, UOM137-FY1112/3M
- ↑ Baur, John. Practical Music Theory, Chapter 19 - analysis of Jack Cooper's arrangement of What a Wonderful World, Kendall Hunt Publishing Company. 2014. pp. 287-289, ISBN 978-1-4652-1790-5
External links
- Jack Cooper discography at Discogs
- Jack Cooper (musician) at AllMusic
- Jack Cooper at the Internet Movie Database
- Jack Cooper on SoundCloud
- Jack Cooper at JazzTimes
- Jack Cooper at All About Jazz
- Jack Cooper at BBC Music
- Alfred Music Publishing
- University of Memphis School of Music
- Brassworks 4 Publishing
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