NEWS
July 2023
Matt gave two consecutive sold-out recitals at Piano in the Vineyard, Lumos Winery, near Philomath, Oregon as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International series! His recitals were a rare mix of classical (Debussy, Scarlatti, Chopin, Ravel, Gershwin, Copland) and jazz (Ellington, Strayhorn, Brubeck, Bacharach, Oscar Peterson, Stevie Wonder) and included a tango as an encore.
For more photo coverage from the Corvallis Gazette-Times, click here
Matt gave two consecutive sold-out recitals at Piano in the Vineyard, Lumos Winery, near Philomath, Oregon as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International series! His recitals were a rare mix of classical (Debussy, Scarlatti, Chopin, Ravel, Gershwin, Copland) and jazz (Ellington, Strayhorn, Brubeck, Bacharach, Oscar Peterson, Stevie Wonder) and included a tango as an encore.
For more photo coverage from the Corvallis Gazette-Times, click here
September 2022
Matt performs on accordion with Latin quartet "Acordeón Sangriento" at La Grande Farmer's Market.
Matt performs on accordion with Latin quartet "Acordeón Sangriento" at La Grande Farmer's Market.
November 2021
Matt's new album with saxophonist Rob Scheps was reviewed in the New York City Jazz Record (November 2021)! Reviewer Ken Dryden calls it "a diverse array of originals, beautifully interpreted" and praises Matt's "dazzling" piano solo on "McCoy's Luminous Mountains:"
The New York City Jazz Record—Review by Ken Dryden
of Rob Scheps and the TBA Band: Live at the Churchill School CD
Rob Scheps is a veteran saxophonist who has worked with artists as varied as Jaki Byard, Henry Threadgill, John Abercrombie, Clark Terry, Terumasa Hino and Nancy King in addition to leading his own groups. Scheps sticks exclusively to soprano saxophone and flute on this CD, offering a diverse array of originals, beautifully interpreted by a band he recruited during a return visit to his native Oregon: pianist Matt Cooper, bassist Laurent Nickel, drummer Michael Rodenkirch and guitarist Luke McKern. Read more…
Matt's new album with saxophonist Rob Scheps was reviewed in the New York City Jazz Record (November 2021)! Reviewer Ken Dryden calls it "a diverse array of originals, beautifully interpreted" and praises Matt's "dazzling" piano solo on "McCoy's Luminous Mountains:"
The New York City Jazz Record—Review by Ken Dryden
of Rob Scheps and the TBA Band: Live at the Churchill School CD
Rob Scheps is a veteran saxophonist who has worked with artists as varied as Jaki Byard, Henry Threadgill, John Abercrombie, Clark Terry, Terumasa Hino and Nancy King in addition to leading his own groups. Scheps sticks exclusively to soprano saxophone and flute on this CD, offering a diverse array of originals, beautifully interpreted by a band he recruited during a return visit to his native Oregon: pianist Matt Cooper, bassist Laurent Nickel, drummer Michael Rodenkirch and guitarist Luke McKern. Read more…
September 11, 2021
Livestream of the official "CD release party" for Rob Scheps and the TBA Band: Live at the Churchill School, recorded in 2020.
Livestream of the official "CD release party" for Rob Scheps and the TBA Band: Live at the Churchill School, recorded in 2020.
February 2021
Bergeron, Cooper & Garoutte—Live at Ten Depot Street (on Spotify)
Also available on various streaming sites such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora and more.
Bergeron, Cooper & Garoutte—Live at Ten Depot Street (on Spotify)
Also available on various streaming sites such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora and more.
February 1, 2021
Jazzscene (Portland, OR) review of Rob Scheps and the TBA Band: Live at the Churchill School
"The energy of live jazz has been missed over the last year, which makes an accomplished live record such as this all the more satisfying." --Tree Palmedo, Feb 10, 2021
Jazzscene (Portland, OR) review of Rob Scheps and the TBA Band: Live at the Churchill School
"The energy of live jazz has been missed over the last year, which makes an accomplished live record such as this all the more satisfying." --Tree Palmedo, Feb 10, 2021
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January 2021
Matt is featured on two tracks on Kit Garoutte's latest collection of original instrumental music, titled "Magic Is," due for release on Jan. 1!
Available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other digital platforms. |
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August 2020
Saxophonist Rob Scheps and myself performing a set at The Churchill, Baker City, OR on Aug. 21 2020
EDIT: Live at the Churchill School is now available on https://robscheps.bandcamp.com (Feb 1, 2021)
EDIT: Live at the Churchill School is now available on https://robscheps.bandcamp.com (Feb 1, 2021)
July 2020
“Bridge the Gap” Music Camp
Matt is teaching beginning accordion at this virtual camp, which features acoustic music faculty from across the country from Seattle to Virginia, July 13-17
Matt is teaching beginning accordion at this virtual camp, which features acoustic music faculty from across the country from Seattle to Virginia, July 13-17
May 2020
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April 2020
Matt’s album “Two for the Road” with vocalist Sharon Porter was reviewed by Brett Campbell in “Oregon ArtsWatch!”
Matt’s album “Two for the Road” with vocalist Sharon Porter was reviewed by Brett Campbell in “Oregon ArtsWatch!”
June 2019
Matt was recently chosen as Eastern Oregon University’s Distinguished Teaching Faculty for 2019! This honor, awarded to one faculty member each year, was given in recognition of Matt’s outstanding 28-year record of teaching, performance, and music scholarship at EOU, bridging such diverse disciplines as jazz, classical, and tango.
Matt was recently chosen as Eastern Oregon University’s Distinguished Teaching Faculty for 2019! This honor, awarded to one faculty member each year, was given in recognition of Matt’s outstanding 28-year record of teaching, performance, and music scholarship at EOU, bridging such diverse disciplines as jazz, classical, and tango.
November 18, 2017
"Two for the Road" was featured on Jack Frieden's show on WHRO (Norfolk, VA) titled "The Vocal Sound of Jazz" on Nov. 18. The cut that was featured was "Summer in Central Park." What is significant is that the playlist for this one-hour show (about 12 tunes) includes major vocal artists like Ben Sidran and Gregory Porter!
Listen to the archived episode here.
"Two for the Road" was featured on Jack Frieden's show on WHRO (Norfolk, VA) titled "The Vocal Sound of Jazz" on Nov. 18. The cut that was featured was "Summer in Central Park." What is significant is that the playlist for this one-hour show (about 12 tunes) includes major vocal artists like Ben Sidran and Gregory Porter!
Listen to the archived episode here.
November 15, 2017
Will Bowman of La Grande Alive interviewed Matt about the Grande Ronde Symphony concert that took place on Nov. 15th, featuring the Mozart Piano Concerto in C Major, K. 467.
View the interview here.
Will Bowman of La Grande Alive interviewed Matt about the Grande Ronde Symphony concert that took place on Nov. 15th, featuring the Mozart Piano Concerto in C Major, K. 467.
View the interview here.
June 2017
Matt just released a new CD with his wife, Sharon Porter, on vocals! The album includes fifteen jazz standards (Ellington, Jobim, Harold Arlen) or "new standards" (James Taylor, Bobbie Gentry, Hank Williams, Procol Harum). Matt and Sharon are backed by Spokane bassist Scott Steed (Horace Silver, the Monterey Jazz Festival band, Diane Schuur) and drummer Michael Waldrop (Michael Waldrop/Jack Cooper Big Band).
Purchase the CD or digital album here.
June 28, 2017
"Piano Showcase" at the Josephy Center in Joseph, OR:
Matt just released a new CD with his wife, Sharon Porter, on vocals! The album includes fifteen jazz standards (Ellington, Jobim, Harold Arlen) or "new standards" (James Taylor, Bobbie Gentry, Hank Williams, Procol Harum). Matt and Sharon are backed by Spokane bassist Scott Steed (Horace Silver, the Monterey Jazz Festival band, Diane Schuur) and drummer Michael Waldrop (Michael Waldrop/Jack Cooper Big Band).
Purchase the CD or digital album here.
June 28, 2017
"Piano Showcase" at the Josephy Center in Joseph, OR:
March 2016
Matt was the featured artist at the San Juan College Jazz Festival in Farmington, N.M. April 1st, 2016. A link to the article in their local paper can be found here:
Daily Times article, "Pianist Matt Cooper Featured at SJC Jazz Fest"
Matt was the featured artist at the San Juan College Jazz Festival in Farmington, N.M. April 1st, 2016. A link to the article in their local paper can be found here:
Daily Times article, "Pianist Matt Cooper Featured at SJC Jazz Fest"
November 2015
Celebration of Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington Study Group conference at Reed College. Matt shared the stage in Kaul Auditorium with David Shifrin, Darrell Grant, and Rebecca Kilgore. The hall was sold out with over 750 people in attendance.
An audio link to part of the performance can be found here:
Three Ellington and Strayhorn compositions from the opening concert.
Celebration of Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington Study Group conference at Reed College. Matt shared the stage in Kaul Auditorium with David Shifrin, Darrell Grant, and Rebecca Kilgore. The hall was sold out with over 750 people in attendance.
An audio link to part of the performance can be found here:
Three Ellington and Strayhorn compositions from the opening concert.
May 2014
While in Amsterdam for the Ellington conference, Matt gave an interview on the Dutch television station VPRO on May 11, 2014.
See his interview on the program "Vrije Geluiden" (Free Sounds), including a performance of "Take the 'A' Train," here:
Interview on Dutch television about Ellington as Pianist (Matt's interview starts about 20+ minutes in)
While in Amsterdam for the Ellington conference, Matt gave an interview on the Dutch television station VPRO on May 11, 2014.
See his interview on the program "Vrije Geluiden" (Free Sounds), including a performance of "Take the 'A' Train," here:
Interview on Dutch television about Ellington as Pianist (Matt's interview starts about 20+ minutes in)
2013
Matt's monograph has been hailed as a "significant and permanent contribution to Ellington's music and legacy" (Geoff Smith, Blue Light) and has been reviewed by Brian Priestley in the June 2014 Jazzwise.
NEW publication: Ellington as Pianist: A Study in Styles
Matt's monograph has been hailed as a "significant and permanent contribution to Ellington's music and legacy" (Geoff Smith, Blue Light) and has been reviewed by Brian Priestley in the June 2014 Jazzwise.
NEW publication: Ellington as Pianist: A Study in Styles
$45.00
Published November, 2013 |
DUKE ELLINGTON AS PIANIST: A STUDY OF STYLESby Matthew J. Cooper
This volume by Matthew Cooper represents the first book-length study devoted exclusively to Duke Ellington as pianist. As such, it should be regarded as a substantial contribution to the Ellington scholarship for the very reason that the piano was central to the Duke’s achievements as a musician. He composed at the keyboard; he improvised at the keyboard; he led his musicians from the keyboard; and he—as the leading member of the rhythm section—delivered the fundamental energy of his creations on the keyboard.
In his consideration of both representative and landmark recorded performances, Professor Cooper reports the views of a host of authorities and provides original commentary. He identifies three practices in Ellington’s piano work: an early foundational stride style, a style typical of his swing maturity, and an atypical, post-bop / modern style. What might be understood as rather fascinating is that Dr. Cooper argues that all three “existed side by side from the 1940s (or perhaps earlier) until the end of his career.” The author’s conclusions are supported by copious transcriptions. Reviews: |