A Magical Approach is a live solo percussion album by Jerome Cooper. The first track was recorded in April 1978 at Environ in New York City, while the remaining tracks were recorded in September 2007 at an AACM concert in New York City. The album was released by Mutable Music in 2010.[1][2]
| A Magical Approach | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 2010 | |||
| Recorded | April 17, 1978 and September 7, 2007 | |||
| Venue | Environ and an AACM concert in New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Mutable Music 17538-2 | |||
| Jerome Cooper chronology | ||||
| ||||
"My Birds" is dedicated to Cooper's former Revolutionary Ensemble bandmates Sirone and Leroy Jenkins.[3] The album as a whole is dedicated to the memory of Captain Walter Dyett of DuSable High School in Chicago.[3]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
In a review for AllMusic, arwulf arwulf wrote: "A Magical Approach... is recommended as an introduction to the inspired individualism of percussionist Jerome Cooper, who plainly states that his music cannot be categorized.... His primary innovation was to augment the standard American drum kit with the balafon... Placing this instrument securely on top of the snare drum, Cooper weaves rhythmic patterns and generates crosscurrents with a combination of balafon, bass drum, and hi-hat or sock cymbal. That is what was used to generate the remarkable sounds heard on the first track."[4]
Writing for All About Jazz-New York, Francis Lo Kee called the album "a remarkable artistic statement," and commented: "it is extraordinarily absorbing with no dead spots. If we consider Max Roach the progenitor of solo drumset music... Cooper has not only expanded Roach's language by including other instruments, he's expanded on Roach's sense of rhythmic joy and excitement... Embrace the mystery, embrace the magic and do not miss a chance to see Jerome Cooper perform live."[5]
In an article for The Sound Projector, Ed Pinsent stated: "Terrific percussion CD... Fred Brown did the cover painting, and inside you'll find a photo of Cooper's old high school band, where even the way he tilts his snare to the camera is a gesture of righteous attitude."[6]
Track listing
editAll compositions by Jerome Cooper.
- "Root Assumptions" – 17:37
- "A Melody" – 10:07
- "My Birds" – 7:48
- "3 is to 1 as 4 is to 2" – 4:41
- "Munich" – 7:42
- "For the People - In Fear - In Chaos" – 19:10
Personnel
edit- Jerome Cooper – drums, balaphone, chirimia, keyboards
References
edit- ^ "Jerome Cooper: In Concert: A Magical Approach". Mutable Music. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Jerome Cooper: In Concert: A Magical Approach". ArtistInfo. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Cooper, Jerome (2010). A Magical Approach (liner notes). Jerome Cooper. Mutable Music. 17538-2.
- ^ a b arwulf, arwulf. "Jerome Cooper: A Magical Approach". AllMusic. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Lo Kee, Francis (October 2010). "A Magical Approach". All About Jazz-New York. p. 20.
- ^ Pinsent, Ed (December 23, 2010). "Larger Astronomical Time". The Sound Projector. Retrieved April 12, 2022.