MARC COOPER - Coop's career has
taken him all over the world performing and exciting audiences in such countries
as Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Hungary, Spain, Germany, Africa,
Scandinavia, England, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Philippines,
Vietnam, Sweden and throughout the US and Canada. As a guitarist, vocalist,
synth guitar advocate and fanatic, producer, author and respected teacher Coop
has had the privilege to travel the world performing, a lot of times under the
radar of recording companies and all that fanfare. Yet Coop has managed to find
his way and it's been his thrill to perform with many fine players in all styles
of music. In 1993 Coop was asked to head over to London England and launch the
release of the Digitech 2101 guitar preamp with Steve Howe. Here they are
together just before their performances held at one of the legendary studios in
London where Clapton and Beck spent a bunch of time recording. Coop has
performed live on stage with Joe Walsh just before he was about to get back
together with the Eagles. Here Coop is on stage with Joe at Music West. (photo
courtesy of Peter Patrick). He's also shared the stage with the amazing Danny
Gatton, ( he was one of America's great treasures that we lost in 1994), the
awesome tone meister, pick up designer Seymour Duncan, Michel Cusson (UZEB),
drummers Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth/Joe Satriani), Carmine Appice (Rod
Stewart/Jeff Beck), bassist Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report /Santana), Brooks
Wackerman (Infectious Grooves), Pat Travers, and Canadian blues artist Rita
Chiarelli.
In 1996 Coop toured the UK as a special guest on Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Fender
Clinic Tour and in 1997 he toured Turkey with drummer Dom Famularo where they
did TV shows in Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Ismir, and Antalyia for an audience of
120 million people on the Euro/Sky Network! In 1999 Coop played at EuroMusic
Vienna, along with Uli Jon Roth and Milan Polak and others.
As an international guitar clinician and endorsee, Coop has shared the stage
with Jan Ackerman, Paul Gilbert, Rick Derringer, Jennifer Batten, Adrian Legg,
Tom Bresh, Buster B. Jones, Andy Timmons, Roy Ashen, and Rik Emmett, Tommy
Emmanuel and many others. At the summer NAMM show in 2003 in got to play for
guitar legend Les Paul. It was certainly a thrill for Coop.
Coop received recognition by winning several awards as a guitarist and
songwriter. He captured first place at the Hot Guitarist Contest at the 1994
NAMM show in Los Angeles / a finalist in the Fender Guitar Warz '89, '90 and
Yamaha Guitar Warz '91. Early on he won two quarter finalist awards in the
American Song Writers Festival for two of his original compositions.
In 1995 he released ""CoopDeVille: Shelter From The Storm"" to rave reviews and
response. It covers the rock / blues ground that he has travelled for many
years. The recording features Peter Murray on bass and Jeff Salem on drums. In
1997 Speaking In Other Tongues, this time an eclectic fusion of rock, jazz,
blues, worldbeat, and Coop's ""Other World"" guitar sounds and vocals. He was
hungry to venture outside of his regular turf to write and play other styles
that have been swimming in his head for a long time.
Coop has also been providing many companies with his favorite presets that have
appeared in: Digitech 2101 and the 2112; GNX series of modeling guitar floor
pedalboards, TC Helicon VoiceLive, Powercore Tubifex and TC Thirty. He has
appeared in several videos playing through Johnson amps, TC Electronic's G Major
and TC Helicon's VoicePrism and the DVD on TC Electronic's G System. In 2007 and
2008 Coop finshed several Digitech videos for the Vocalist Live 2, 4,
theVocalist Live Pro, and the Jam Man. Recently in 2008 Coop shot a series of
new Vocalist Live 2, 4 and Pro videos that are on this cool product showcase
player that is now up on this site under Sessions & Clinics. There are 5
informative videos covering everything from an overview of the products to setup
proceedures to in depth tricks on how to use the matrix. Check them out.
Coop is the author of 6 guitar instructional books, CDs and cassettes for the
music publishing company, ""MEoW"" (Music Education Workshop). He made his start
in Toronto, Canada and those books sold throughout the country. He ran a music
lesson program and had over a thousand students go through his books.
His books and jam along CDs, entitled ""The Guitar Vocabulary Series"", (Scale
Vocabulary, Chord Vocabulary, Jazz Jam Along, Funk Jam Along) have sold
successfully throughout 15 countries worldwide. Two of his books (Blues Jam
Along and Hard Rock Jam Along book and CDs) later went to be published with
Music Sales worldwide.
Here are a few selected CDs' Coop has played /or produced on:
Joey Curtin: Soundtrack for America (2008)
Patrick Curin: Unveiled (2007)
Joe's Conscience: Seppo Salminen's project
Georgian Banov: Celebration- Live from Toronto (2000)
Jeremy Sinnott : Warrior Bride; Catch the Fire 4
Ken Winton: Transformed ( double CD/ Live In California)
Dave Hunter Band : Live from River City
Philipino Philharmonic Orchestra: Heaven Is Open. This CD is with a rock band, a
choir and the orchestra. There is a DVD of the concert from Manilla, Philipines.
Brian Johnson Band: Freshwind04: Extreme Passion, Extreme Pursuit. A live CD,
from Toronto, to an audience of 6,000 screaming people.
Sallaberry: SambaSong and friends. Brazilian drummer, Sallaberry, recorded a
jazz/ samba fusion CD entitled, SambaSong & Friends. (2006)
Compilation of Worship: Shine Like Stars. Coop co-produced this eclectic CD of
several new songwriters... he also played several of the instruments on this
recording.
Coop has previously studied guitar and music theory with:
Pat Martino
Mick Goodricd
Steve Morse
Tommy Tedesco
Robben Ford
Joe Diorio
Joe Pass
Ron Eschete
Don Mock
Keith Wyatt
Steve Travato
Howard Roberts at the school, G.I.T.
Coop is featured in several music and guitar magazines throughout the world such
as:
Canadian Musician
CMT (Canadian Music Trade)
Guitar & Bass (France)
Soundcheck (Germany)
Music Maker (Nederlands)
Proaudio Show (Spain)
Guitare & Clavier (France)
Music Shop (Argentina)
Planet Music (Austria) To name a few.
Muriel Anderson's All Star Guitar Night benefits the
Music For Life Alliance
