Alan Cooper (musician)

Alan Swainston Cooper (born February 15, 1931 in Leeds - † August 22, 2007 ) was a British jazz musician ( bass clarinet , soprano saxophone ) and band leader.

Live and act

Alan Cooper attended the College of Art in Leeds and played in a college jazz band, the Vernon Street Ramblers , part of the traditional jazz revival movement in Britain. In 1949 he became a member of the Yorkshire Jazz Band , with which the first recordings were made and he began to work as a professional musician. Cooper's music in the band was influenced by the New Orleans Jazz clarinetists whose recordings were made in Chicago in the 1920s, such as Jimmie Noone , Johnny Dodds and Edmond Hall . In the mid-1950s he moved to London, taught fine arts and played in various jazz groups, such as the quartet of bassist Bernie Cash and pianist Johnny Parker, and Graham Stewart's Seven. In 1956 the formation Temperance Seven was formed with friends from the art school such as Cephas Howard, Brian Innes, John Gieves-Watson and Colin Bowles . The group also appeared regularly on the BBC , including with Peter Sellers , on Top of the Pops .

The Temperance Seven was one of the leading bands of British traditional jazz , which had hits in 1961 with “You're Driving Me Crazy” and “Pasadena”, which became the band's signature tune. Cooper, who left the band in 1962, taught at the Chelsea College of Art and was a collector of historical musical instruments. In the second half of the 1960s he played with Alex Welsh and Freddy Randall, among others . In 1969 the band was revived as New Temperance Seven , with whom he toured in the early 1970s and recorded some albums; he also played with Keith Nichols . In the 1980s, Cooper toured the Middle East frequently; otherwise he worked as a freelance musician. In the 1990s he moved to the Welsh book village of Hay-on-Wye and was only occasionally active as a musician.

swell

• Obituary 2007 in The Times