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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
At last, by long and laborious efforts, I have managed to transfer - from aged audiotape to computer to MP3 file to website - a shortened version of "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" on Jazz at the Junction, bottom of page 4. Hope to do more soon. JE
JamieEvans |
Latest page update: made by JamieEvans
, Dec 4 2011, 11:59 AM EST
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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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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