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Alan Cooper fondly remembered
Alan Cooper remembered.
Alan Swainston Cooper (1931-2007)
This story was originally published in the New Sunday Times Travel Book (1986) and is an account of a jazz tour of the Low Countries I made with former Temperance Seven clarinettist Alan Cooper in 1985. The tour was set up by another dear and departed friend, the late Dave Smith (1923-2006) of Eindhoven, Holland, who found the venues, accommodated us in hotels and his own home, and usually bought the beers as well...
Low Country Life
By Jamie Evans
"A Foggy Day in London Town, in B-Flat," says Coops. "One...two...one, two three, four," miming grotesquely. And off the four of us go, skittering through the chord changes. Two Brits and two Dutchmen, we have never even met before let alone rehearsed. We don't even speak each others' languages. We are performing in the Trafalgar pub, Eindhoven, southern Holland, on an August Saturday night, by now halfway through a good, romping version - even though I say so myself - of Just One of Those Things.
The Dutch audience is clapping, the proprietor is smiling. I titter at the piano as Coops, bass clarinet under his arm, makes his standard intermission announcement. "And now the gentlemen of the ensemble will take a short break and repair to the bar to mingle with members of the audience who will, no doubt, express their appreciation in the time-honoured tradition." And they do. Our first gig is a success. The Alan Cooper Trio (there are in fact four of us) is a hit on
the eve of our two-week Dutch tour.
The proprietor is an admirer of Thelonious Monk. He feeds me genever jong as I play Round Midnight for chorus after chorus until my hands can barely move through fatigue and gin.
Picture: The Alan Cooper Trio (four-strong) in action.
Continued on Low Country Life 2
JamieEvans |
Latest page update: made by JamieEvans
, Mar 31 2012, 6:02 AM EDT
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Anonymous | Alan Swainson Cooper | 1 | Feb 12 2012, 8:13 AM EST by JamieEvans | ||
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Thread started: Feb 8 2012, 11:36 AM EST
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In the late 1950's the Temps were RCA's own band, Cephus on Trumpet, Alan on Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Phonofiddle, Colin Bowles on Piano, Phil Harrison on Saxophone, a chap from Graphics who played a mean Banjo and a drummer whose name I have forgotten. Cephus, Colin and Alan would 'rehearse' on Wednesday afternoons ('sports' afternoons!) in the Interior Design studio and on Thursday evenings in the bar with most of the bands members. Great days - and nights! Alan was interested in photography as well as sculpture and jazz - and large ancient cars. On a couple of occasions he drove me home to Coulsdon where I had a bathroom that was easily convertible to a darkroom. I cannot remember what we printed except that he was very scathing about people who tried to tell him what was a 'good pictorial composition' . He was a charming and engaging man - I remember him playing the ancient pink piano we had in the studio with one hand and punctuating his playing on a cymbal with the other - great days and wonderful music.
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| Anonymous | Alan Cooper Jazz musician and tutor | 0 | Jul 12 2010, 7:24 PM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Jul 12 2010, 7:24 PM EDT
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Alan Cooper was my tutor at Hammersmith college of art in 1970-1973 and a very kind person. I was ill on the course and he was very encouraging, he gave me a new easel to do my oil paintings on and I still have it to this day.
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| Anonymous | Alan Cooper | 0 | May 3 2010, 4:33 AM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: May 3 2010, 4:33 AM EDT
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It's great to see a site in tribute to Alan Cooper. I first heard Alan in the mid-70s at a Sunday lunchtime session in a quartet with Malc Murphy, Jim Holmes, & Terry Woods. Alan was such a lyrical, imaginative & humorous player.
Robert Greenwood. |
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