Jerome Cooper

Jerome Cooper (December 14, 1946 – May 6, 2015) was an American free jazz musician.[1] In addition to trap drums, Cooper played balafon, chirimia and various electronic instruments, and referred to himself as a "multi-dimensional drummer," meaning that his playing involved "layers of sounds and rhythms".[2] He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in Brooklyn, New York.[1] Allmusic reviewer Ron Wynn called him "A sparkling drummer and percussionist... An excellent accompanist".[3] Another Allmusic reviewer stated that "in the truest sense this drummer is a magician, adept at transformation and the creation of sacred space".[4]

Not to be confused with Jerome G. Cooper.

Biography

Cooper studied with Oliver Coleman and Walter Dyett in the late 1950s and early 1960s,[5] then studied at the American Conservatory of Music and Loop College.[3] In 1968 he worked with Oscar Brown, Jr. and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre in the U.S. but moved to Europe before the end of the decade, where he played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Steve Lacy, Lou Bennett (with whom he visited Gambia and Senegal[6]), the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Alan Silva, and Noah Howard.[5][7] After returning to the U.S. in 1971, he joined the Revolutionary Ensemble alongside Leroy Jenkins and Sirone, where he remained for several years, and played piano, flute, and bugle in addition to drums.[7] In the 1970s, he played with Sam Rivers, George Adams, Karl Berger, Andrew Hill, and Anthony Braxton.[3] In the 1980s he worked with McIntyre again, as well as with Cecil Taylor.[3]

Death

Cooper died May 6, 2015, aged 68, from complications of multiple myeloma, according to his daughter, Levanah Cummins-Cooper.[1]

Discography

As leader
  • 1978: Positions 3 6 9 (Kharma)
  • 1978: Root Assumptions (Anima)
  • 1979: For the People (Hathut)
  • 1979: Unpredictability of Predictability (About Time)
  • 1988: Outer and Interactions (About Time)
  • 2001: In Concert: From There to Hear (Mutable Music)
  • 2003: Alone, Together, Apart (Mutable Music)
  • 2010: A Magical Approach (Mutable)

With the Revolutionary Ensemble

As sideman

With Lester Bowie

With Anthony Braxton

With Ted Daniel

  • Tapestry (Porter, 2008)

With Leroy Jenkins and The Jazz Composer's Orchestra

  • For Players Only (JCOA, 1975)

With Rahsaan Roland Kirk

With Steve Lacy

  • Wordless (Futura, 2009)

With Marcello Melis

  • Perdas De Fogu (Vista, 1975)

With Roscoe Mitchell and Don Moye

With Alan Silva

  • Seasons (BYG Records, 1971)
  • My Country (Leo, 1989)

With Cecil Taylor

With Clifford Thornton

  • Communications Network (Third World, 1972)

References
  1. Chinen, Nate (May 13, 2015). "Jerome Cooper, a Multitextured Jazz Percussionist, Dies at 68". NYTimes.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  2. Cooper, Jerome. "In Concert: From There To Hear: Multi-dimensional Drummer". MutableMusic.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  3. Wynn, Ron. "Jerome Cooper: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  4. arwulf, arwulf. "Jerome Cooper: A Magical Approach". AllMusic.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  5. Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (1999). "Cooper, Jerome". The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 150.
  6. Wilmer, Val (2009). As Serious As Your Life. Serpent's Tail. p. 361.
  7. Porter, Lewis (2001). "Cooper, Jerome". In Kuhn, Laura (ed.). Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 2. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc. p. 721. OCLC 313884977.
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