Bob Cooper (musician)

Bob Cooper
Cooper, c. 1947
Background information
Born(1925-12-06)December 6, 1925
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedAugust 5, 1993(1993-08-05) (aged 67)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentSaxophone
Formerly ofStan Kenton

Bob Cooper (December 6, 1925[1] – August 5, 1993)[2] was a West Coast jazz musician known primarily for playing tenor saxophone, but also for being one of the first to play jazz solos on oboe.

Career

Cooper worked in Stan Kenton's band starting in 1945 and married the band's singer, June Christy, two years later.[1] The union produced a daughter, Shay Christy Cooper (September 1, 1954 – February 21, 2014), with the marriage lasting 44 years, until Christy's death in 1990.[3] He later left the Kenton band in 1951 and joined Howard Rumsey`s Lighthouse All-stars with his friend and bandmate Bud Shank. The two would go on to form a reed partnership, with Cooper on oboe and Shank of flute, that was a novel frontline combination for jazz.[4]

He worked in Pete Rugolo`s orchestra from the mid-1950`s through 1960`s as well as in the later bands of Stan Kenton. From the 1960`s he became mainly a sideman and studio musician, often arranging music for his wife June Christy.

His last studio recording was on Karrin Allyson's album Sweet Home Cookin' (1994) on which he played tenor saxophone.

Cooper died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 67. He was found in his car, which had pulled over to the side of the road.[2]

Selected discography

As leader

As sideman

With Chet Baker

With Elmer Bernstein

With Buddy Bregman

With June Christy

With Maynard Ferguson

With Jimmy Giuffre

With Stan Kenton

With Barney Kessel

With Shelly Manne

With Jack Nitzsche

With Art Pepper

  • Showcase for Modern Jazz (Brunswick, 1958)

With Shorty Rogers

With Pete Rugolo

With Bud Shank

References

  1. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 103. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  2. ^ a b Folkart, Burt A. (7 August 1993). "Bob Cooper; a Shaper of West Coast Jazz". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ "Bob Cooper Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  4. ^ Kramer, Arthur (2006). Bud Shank Bob Cooper European Tour 57' (Liner notes). Lonehill Jazz. LHJ1026.
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