Bob Cooper (musician)

Bob Cooper
Cooper, c. 1947
Background information
Born	(1925-12-06)December 6, 1925 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 5, 1993(1993-08-05) (aged 67) Los Angeles, California
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Saxophone

Bob Cooper (December 6, 1925 – August 5, 1993) 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, a year later. The union producing a daughter Shay Christy Cooper (September 1, 1954 – February 21, 2014), with the marriage lasting 44 years, until Christy's death in 1990. 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, found in his car apparently pulled over to side of road, before dying in his car.

Bob Cooper and June Christy, ca. 1947

Selected discography

As leader

• The Bob Cooper Sextet (Capitol, 1954)
• Shifting Winds (Capitol, 1955)
• Flute 'n Oboe (Pacific Jazz, 1957) with Bud Shank
• Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper (Contemporary, 1958)
• The Swing's to TV (World Pacific, 1958) with Bud Shank
• Blowin' Country (World Pacific, 1959) with Bud Shank
• Tenor Sax Jazz Impressions (Trend, 1979)
• The Music of Michel Legrand (Discovery, 1980)
• In a Mellotone (Contemporary, 1985) with the Snooky Young Sextet featuring Ernie Andrews
• At The Royal Palms Inn (Woofy Productions, 1993) with Carl Fontana

As sideman With Chet Baker

• Witch Doctor (Contemporary, 1953 [1985])

With Elmer Bernstein

• The Man with the Golden Arm (Decca, 1956)

With Buddy Bregman

• Swinging Kicks (Verve, 1957)

With June Christy

• Do-Re-Mi (Capitol, 1961)

With Maynard Ferguson

• Maynard Ferguson's Hollywood Party (EmArcy, 1954)
• Jam Session featuring Maynard Ferguson (EmArcy, 1954)
• Dimensions (EmArcy, 1955)

With Jimmy Giuffre

• The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet (Atlantic, 1956)

With Stan Kenton

• Stan Kenton's Milestones (Capitol, 1943-47 [1950])
• Stan Kenton Classics (Capitol, 1944-47 [1952])
• Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol, 1946)
• Encores (Capitol, 1947)
• A Presentation of Progressive Jazz (Capitol, 1947)
• Innovations in Modern Music (Capitol, 1950)
• Stan Kenton Presents (Capitol, 1950)
• City of Glass (Capitol, 1951)
• Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1953)
• This Modern World (Capitol, 1953)
• The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940–54, [1955])
• The Innovations Orchestra (Capitol, 1950-51 [1997])
• Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra (Capitol, 1965)
• Hair (Capitol, 1969)

With Barney Kessel

• Kessel Plays Standards (Contemporary, 1954–55)

With Shelly Manne

• The West Coast Sound (Contemporary, 1955)

With Jack Nitzsche

• Heart Beat (Soundtrack) (Capitol, 1980)

With Art Pepper

• Showcase for Modern Jazz (Brunswick, 1958)

With Shorty Rogers

• Cool and Crazy (RCA Victor, 1953)
• Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (RCA Victor, 1954)
• Collaboration (RCA Victor, 1954) with André Previn
• Afro-Cuban Influence (RCA Victor, 1958)
• Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan (MGM, 1960)

With Pete Rugolo

• Introducing Pete Rugolo (Columbia, 1954)
• Adventures in Rhythm (Columbia, 1954)
• Rugolomania (Columbia, 1955)
• New Sounds by Pete Rugolo (Harmony, 1954–55, [1957])
• Out on a Limb (EmArcy, 1956)
• An Adventure in Sound: Reeds in Hi-Fi (Mercury, 1956 [1958])
• Rugolo Plays Kenton (EmArcy, 1958)
• The Music from Richard Diamond (EmArcy, 1959)
• The Original Music of Thriller (Time, 1961)
• 10 Saxophones and 2 Basses (Mercury, 1961)

With Bud Shank

• Jazz at Cal-Tech (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Barefoot Adventure (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
• Bud Shank & the Sax Section (Pacific Jazz, 1966)

External links

• Bob Cooper discography at Discogs
• Bob Cooper at IMDb
• Bob Cooper at Find a Grave