Below are the liner notes I was privileged to be asked to write for JSJBF member and longtime friend Barry Cooper. This is his second project, and it’s an ambitious one, with twenty-one instrumental tracks spanning two discs.
Several years ago, Barry told me he was going into the studio to record some songs he was working on. This project yielded “BARRY COOPER” a fine CD for which I wrote the liner notes, and copies were distributed to friends and family and streamed on various platforms. I thought to myself, well he’s scratched that itch and he would get back to playing for his own and others enjoyment. Boy, was I wrong! Here I am writing the liner notes for “COOPERIZED,” his second effort, which includes twenty-one songs on two discs, including two original songs. For this effort he assembled a stellar group of studio musicians, including Dave Malyszko on keyboards, Hank Skalka on bass and Dmitri Burtis on drums. Recording engineer Harry Jacovou was on the board again for this project.
The song arrangements feature Barry on guitar, with plenty of room for solos by his band mates, especially Dave, to display their considerable skills. The majority of the songs are what is referred to as minor key blues. You can’t go wrong with anything by Dizzy Gillespie and with one of his standout numbers, “Birks Works,” Barry’s sweet-sounding tone keeps this song light, and coupled with Dave’s fills and soloing it swings. “Equinox,” a number made famous by John Coltrane, is transformed from a horn-based tune to a tour de force featuring Barry’s guitar. Dave’s keyboard stylings are anchored by a tight rhythm section featuring Hank’s bass and Dmitri’s drums. While “Equinox” substitutes guitar for sax, it remains faithful to the structure and the feel of the original. Barry gets a tone that makes the song sound fresh while not straying far from the mark. Another tune in this category is, as the title implies, “Minor Swing.” This was written and first released by the great Django Reinhardt in 1937. Dmitri’s opening drum pattern instantly identifies the tune and, again, the tone of Barry’s guitar updates the sound while the notes played stay close to that of the recording. On Wes Montgomery’s “Road Song” superb playing by the band compliments one of the best recorded solos I have heard from Barry, followed by Dave laying down a great solo of his own. One of my personal favorites, “St. James Infirmary,” displays some fine fret work by Barry, capturing the feel of this traditional blues number. The last of the minor blues, Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny,” was all over the radio in the late sixties, covered by the likes of Cher, Jose’ Feliciano, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra and the list goes on. This version, while instantly recognizable, has Barry’s imprint all over it with pleasing results. His solos never stray too far from the original melody with the same being said for Dave’s keyboards, but they certainly take it from pop to jazz in an enjoyable transformation.
This outing also includes a good helping of major key blues nuggets, with “S.K.J.” slowed down with great effect, as compared to the Milt Jackson & Wes Montgomery version. Another outstanding number is their rendition of Red Garland’s “Blues By Five” with Hank laying down a great bass line and solo, while Barry and Dave take turns with terrific solos and Dmitri adding some tasty fills. This track is one of many highlights contained in the two discs.
Of the three bossa novas, is the Luis Bonfa classic “Black Orpheus,” which appeared in the 1959 film “Orfeu Negro.” This is another standout. “Blue Bossa,” written by Kenny Dorham, is a blend of hard bop and bossa nova, and is an excellent rendition as Barry’s arrangement shines as performed by this group. Two standards are included, and “All of Me” has Barry’s swinging guitar propelling this version with a pleasing effect. Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto’s “So Danco Samba” is given a little sharper sound than the original, but what it lacks in smoothness, it more than makes up for in grit. Sometimes doing an instrumental tune just doesn’t sound like the back drop for vocals, and this is a prime example. It actually changes the vibe and becomes something more urgent.
The CD contains one Latin tune, Charles Singleton’s “Help The Poor” which again has Barry in fine form and he certainly acquits himself admirably on this number. Dave again demonstrates the importance of surrounding yourself with good sidemen, as he turns in another complementary solo, while the solid rhythm section of Hank and Dmitri add to the fullness of this arrangement.
The two original numbers were written for Barry’s daughter Amy, and his first cousin Lorelei who passed after a life of long illness. “Amy Love” is a beguine, a form similar to a slow rhumba, and hearing it brings back my memory of father and daughter dancing at Amy and Andrew’s wedding. “Lorelei” is a somber ballad that has Barry pouring out his heartbreak through his instrument and it can be felt in every note, with the band accompaniment adding to that aura.
While I was surprised that Barry would undertake the project of putting out a second CD and especially one of this magnitude, I was not surprised at the outcome. All of his hard work and dedication, as well as that of the musicians he worked with and inspired, has made this outing a step above his first recording.
This collection is available on most streaming platforms. If you are interested in a copy of the CD, please reach out to me at tbaldino@jsjbf.org.
Tom Baldino,
President, Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation