Jerome Cooper
Encyclopedia
Jerome Cooper is an American free jazz
musician. Known as a multi-dimensional drummer, Cooper plays balafon
, chirimia
and electronic tonal activator in addition to trap drums.
Cooper studied with Oliver Coleman and Walter Dyett
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, then studied at the American Conservatory and Loop College. 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
, the Art Ensemble of Chicago
, Alan Silva
, Frank Wright
, and Noah Howard
. 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. In the 1970s he also played with Sam Rivers
, George Adams
, Karl Berger
, Andrew Hill
, and Anthony Braxton
. In the 1980s he worked again with McIntyre and with Cecil Taylor
.
Cooper is noted for the style of his solos, which typically build steadily from slow beginnings and short rhythmic phrases.
With Cecil Taylor
With Rahsaan Roland Kirk
With Revolutionary Ensemble
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
musician. Known as a multi-dimensional drummer, Cooper plays balafon
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
, chirimia
Chirimia
Chirimía is a Spanish term for a type of oboe, and in English is used to refer to various primitive oboes found in Latin America, based on instruments introduced during Spanish colonization.-Distribution:...
and electronic tonal activator in addition to trap drums.
Cooper studied with Oliver Coleman and Walter Dyett
Walter Dyett
Walter Henri Dyett was an American violinist and music educator. As musical director at DuSable High School in Chicago, he trained many students who went on to become well-known musicians.- Career :...
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, then studied at the American Conservatory and Loop College. In 1968 he worked with Oscar Brown, Jr. and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre
Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre
Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre is an American free jazz tenor saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist.McIntyre was born in Clarksville, Arkansas but his family moved to Chicago when he was a child. He began playing drums at seven, then switched to saxophone...
in the U.S. but moved to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before the end of the decade, where he played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments...
, Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
, Lou Bennett
Lou Bennett
Lou Bennett was an American jazz organist.Bennett first played bebop on piano, but started playing organ in 1956 after hearing Jimmy Smith. Bennett toured the U.S. with an organ trio between 1957 and 1959, and then moved to Paris in 1960...
, the Art Ensemble of Chicago
Art Ensemble of Chicago
The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz ensemble that grew out of Chicago's AACM in the late 1960s. The group continues to tour and record through 2006, despite the deaths of two of the founding members....
, Alan Silva
Alan Silva
Alan Silva is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player.-Biography:...
, Frank Wright
Frank Wright
Frank Wright or Francis Wright may refer to:* Frank Lloyd Wright , American architect* Frank Wright , English cricketer* Frank Wright , free jazz musician and saxophonist...
, and Noah Howard
Noah Howard
Noah Howard was an American free jazz alto saxophonist.-Biography:An American born in New Orleans, Howard played music from childhood in his church. He first learned trumpet and later switching to alto, tenor and soprano saxophone. He was an innovator influenced by John Coltrane and Albert Ayler...
. After returning to the U.S. in 1971, he joined the Revolutionary Ensemble
Revolutionary Ensemble
The Revolutionary Ensemble was a free jazz trio consisting of violinist Leroy Jenkins , bassist Sirone and percussionist/pianist Jerome Cooper ....
alongside Leroy Jenkins and Sirone
Sirone (musician)
Norris Jones, better known as Sirone was an American jazz bassist and composer.-Biography:Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Sirone worked in Atlanta late in the 1950s and early in the 1960s with "The Group" alongside George Adams; he also recorded with R&B musicians such as Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson...
, where he remained for several years and played piano, flute, and bugle in addition to drums. In the 1970s he also played with Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers
Samuel Carthorne Rivers , is an American jazz musician and composer. He performs on soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, flute, harmonica and piano....
, George Adams
George Adams (musician)
George Rufus Adams was an American jazz musician who played tenor saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. He is best known for his work with Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Roy Haynes and in the quartet he co-led with pianist Don Pullen, featuring bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Dannie Richmond...
, Karl Berger
Karl Berger
Karl Hanns Berger is a musicologist with a PhD in Music Sociology, jazz composer, jazz vibraphone and piano player.-Biography:...
, Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill was an American jazz pianist and composer.Hill is recognized as one of the most important innovators of jazz piano in the 1960s...
, and Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist, pianist, and philosopher. Braxton has released well over 100 albums since the 1960s...
. In the 1980s he worked again with McIntyre and with Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor
Cecil Percival Taylor is an American pianist and poet. Classically trained, Taylor is generally acknowledged as one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an extremely energetic, physical approach, producing complex improvised sounds, frequently involving tone clusters and...
.
Cooper is noted for the style of his solos, which typically build steadily from slow beginnings and short rhythmic phrases.
As leader
- 1978: Root Assumptions (Anima)
- 1979: For the People (Hathut RecordsHathut RecordsHathut Records is a Swiss record label specialising in jazz and contemporary classical music.Founded in 1975 by Werner X. Uehlinger to document the work of saxophonist / trumpeter Joe McPhee...
) - 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)
As sideman
With Lester BowieLester Bowie
Lester Bowie was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the AACM, and cofounded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Biography:...
- Fast Last!Fast Last!Fast Last! is an album by trumpeter Lester Bowie recorded for the Muse label and released in 1974. It features performances by Bowie, Julius Hemphill, John Hicks, John Stubblefield, Joseph Bowie, Bob Stewart, Cecil McBee, Jerome Cooper, Charles Shaw and Phillip Wilson.-Reception:The Allmusic review...
With Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor
Cecil Percival Taylor is an American pianist and poet. Classically trained, Taylor is generally acknowledged as one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an extremely energetic, physical approach, producing complex improvised sounds, frequently involving tone clusters and...
- It is in the Brewing LuminousIt is in the Brewing LuminousIt is in the Brewing Luminous is a live album by Cecil Taylor recorded at Fat Tuesdays, NYC, on February 8 & 9, 1980 and released on the Hat Hut label. The album features performances by Taylor with Jimmy Lyons, Ramsey Ameen, Alan Silva, Jerome Cooper and Sunny Murray...
(hat ArtHathut RecordsHathut Records is a Swiss record label specialising in jazz and contemporary classical music.Founded in 1975 by Werner X. Uehlinger to document the work of saxophonist / trumpeter Joe McPhee...
, 1980)
With Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments...
- Dog Years in the Fourth RingDog Years in the Fourth RingDog Years in the Fourth Ring is a compilation album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk featuring 2 CDs of previously unreleased live performances and Kirk's solo album Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata on the third disc. It was released on the 32 Jazz label in 1997.The Allmusic...
- Live in Paris, Vol. 1 (Frances's Concert, 1970)
With Revolutionary Ensemble
Revolutionary Ensemble
The Revolutionary Ensemble was a free jazz trio consisting of violinist Leroy Jenkins , bassist Sirone and percussionist/pianist Jerome Cooper ....
- Revolutionary Ensemble (ESP-DiskESP-DiskESP-Disk is a New York-based record label, founded in 1964 by lawyer Bernard Stollman.From the beginning, the label's goal has been to provide its recording artists with complete artistic freedom, unimpeded by any record company interference or commercial expectations—a philosophy summed-up by the...
, 1972) - Revolutionary Ensemble (Enja, 1977)