Henry Cooper
Without
question, Henry has long been regarded as one of the Northwest’s premier
guitar players. Whether it is working in a band like The Terraplanes or
the Duffy Bishop Band, backing Screamin’ Jay Hawkins or leading his own
outfit, Henry has always
entertained us.
- Cascade Blues Association “Bluesnotes” Visit
Henry Cooper’s webpage. Henry
Cooper Live Schedule Henry Cooper is in love, in love with a sound, a high-water-mark of blues guitar tone that had been set by the likes of Elmore James, Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk and Hop Wilson. It is clear from his newest release, "Slide Man", that it is influence, not imitation, that he has learned from the blues masters. He has taken to heart the importance of keeping things uncluttered and of driving straight down the middle of the groove until the last note has faded. The slide into the blues began for Henry at the age of 16, while he was
working at the Eugene (OR) Hotel as a busboy. It was while listening to a
local radio station that he heard The Paul Butterfield Band playing "The
Work Song" off of "East West". Henry recalls, "I heard
that amplified harp and thought "My God! What's that sound? It was
amazing, I'd never heard anything like it." Henry began buying Blues
records - one of the first ones he bought was "Fathers and Sons",
which featured (among others) Paul Butterfield and Muddy Waters. Living in
Eugene, Cooper was surrounded by some of the best Northwest harmonica
players: Curtis Salgado (with his band the Nighthawks), Bill Rhoades, and
Mike Mother. Henry checked them out, picked their brains and got turned on to
Little Walter and other blues musicians. By age 19, he made his first
recording as a harp player, a 45 with his friend Chris Coltraine. After finding a lap steel guitar at a pawn shop, Henry began
using the licks he knew on the harmonica and applying them to the guitar as
well as the sounds he'd heard from Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Albert
Collins. By the age of 22, he was playing guitar in his first band Los
Explorers. Even though he was living in Eugene, a small college town, there
was a thriving blues scene and the musicians were always happy to offer their
knowledge openly to an eager guitar player. After a few different bands,
Henry met Boyd Small and Andy Strange and, along with former Los Explorers
band-mate John Barley, they formed Los Falcons. In 1987 Los Falcons was
booked into a New Year's Eve show with Screamin' Jay Hawkins. The band
learned a bunch of Jay's tunes for the show and during sound check, Jay heard
them play and said, "I'm taking you boys to Europe with me!" When
the tour ended Henry moved to Portland and started several other bands which
included: Henry and the Hamhawks and one of Portland, Oregon's favorite
trios, The Terraplanes. Henry's relationship with Burnside Records began in the early
90's when he and his wife Anne moved to Seattle and Henry was introduced to a
singer named Duffy Bishop, who was looking for a blues guitarist for her new
band. Little did Henry know that The Duffy Bishop Band would take him on a
five year ride as one of the hottest blues bands in the Northwest. The Duffy
Bishop Band along with Cooper on guitar recorded two CD's for Burnside,
"Bottled Oddities" and "Back To The Bone", before he
decided that it was time for him to fly solo. Devoting most of 1997 to
writing and recording, "Baby Please" was released on his own label,
High Action Records, in May of 1998. Being Cooper's first solo effort, with
limited distribution, "Baby Please" sold over two thousand copies
and made several favorite lists from critics and fans alike. It made Real
Blues top 100 CD's of 1998 as well as winning one of their four awards for
"Best Pacific Northwest Blues CD Releases". Henry also shared Real
Blues' "Best Slide Blues Guitarist in North America" award that
year. Slide Man Now with Burnside Records, Henry Cooper returns with a new album "Slide Man", an aptly titled CD as well as a perfect description of Henry's talents. The CD lists 15 tracks with 14 being written by Cooper himself It also showcases his talent as an exceptional harp player. Surrounding Henry is an outstanding trio of musicians: Andrew Larsen (who contributes some peerless Hammond B3 work), and the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Eric Bryson and drummer Andrew Cloutier. Working hard to have an identifiable sound that he can call his own Henry only plays in open tunings and wears his metal slide on his ring finger, therefore he is able to throw in a slide lick at any time. Henry describes his playing as a hybrid style, "kind of between picking and sliding. That's my calling card". Curtis Salgado, who has seen Henry grow from a starry-eyed teen into a skilled musician, adds this oversight on Henry's development: "I've been fortunate enough to share the stage with many major blues guitarists ... and it's clear that it's someone's distinct style that makes a player stand out. Nowadays guitar players that play the licks right are mass produced but a style of your own is not easy to come by. What makes it come across - a certain way he yanks on the string ... that's style. I've watched Henry Cooper develop and come up with his own style - one that is raw and funky. That's hard to do. And very cool."
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