Instrumental History & Credits
External links on this page will open in a new window
After starting out at the age of 10, on a drum kit made of cartons of carpet tile and pie-tin cymbals, Bryan Cooper has developed into a versatile musician, and highly sought-after drummer/percussionist. Studying under Dan Kish of the Rostetter Studis in Staten Island, New York, Bryan studied rudimentary drumming and drum music reading, focusing on swing jazz and late 1960s rock music. In addition to drums and percussion, Bryan plays some rhythm guitar, electric bass, baritone horn, and a little keyboard, and can even provide background vocals. He has performed with several rock, blues, folk and jazz ensembles, acoustic artists, marching corps, orchestras, and theatrical workshops.
Already a veteran blues and cover-band drummer, with stints in orchestra and musical theater, Bryan crossed over to the Philadelphia/South Jersey indie circuit in 2010, providing drum and percussion support for a growing number of artists. He is a regular at several local "open mics", often sharing the stage with a number local legends. For acoustic shows, he plays a box-like drum called a cajon, and is now a regular performer with many acoustic artists in the region.
In March 2010, Bryan completed a four-year stint as drummer for the South Jersey classic rock band, Friends, after playing more than 150 performances with the band dating back to April 2006. Sitting in on drums for a few songs now and then, Coop began playing rhythm guitar and percussion with Friends in the summer of 2006, and took over the duties as full-time drummer upon the departure of the band's original drummer in September of that year. He went on to get involved in promotions, setting up the band's original website, in addition to a presence on MySpace and Facebook. In March 2010, Coop left Friends and has pursued a more diverse scope of performance.
Recently appearing in many acoustic shows, playing cajon and hand percussion, Bryan is comfortable with various musical styles including Rock, Rock & Roll, Classic Rock, Power-Trio covers, Folk, Southern Rock, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Country and orchestral percussion, and he can read percussion charts. He has played in many different venues including bars, restaurants, banquet and catering facilities, theaters, indoor and outdoor concert venues and parade floats...and even backyard parties.
Bryan also volunteered for 20 years with the Mount Laurel Schools Performing Arts and STEP Theater programs where he helps out with set construction, lighting, live and streaming audio, audio recording, and has played a few stints with the student orchestra on drum kit, tympani, snare drum, hand percussion, bass and rhythm guitar
Bryan has recently begun a collaboration with high-school classmate, Tim Gleeson, a grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Tim has toured internationally, won several awards, and has several of his original songs placed in movies. Plans call for Tim and Bryan to perform in duo and trio format with Tim's long-time collborater, Arthur Austin. Tim and Arthur co-founded the highly successful band The Luck Brothers more than 25 years ago, and Bryan will taking on the drumming for that as well. Chris Angelino (Bryan's rhythm section colleague from the Scotty-L Band's "The Johnny Cash Show") rounds out the quartet.
In addition to The Luck Brothers, Bryan currently appears with
Guest appearances with several South Jersey/Philadelphia Metro artists, including
Bryan has recently appeared at many local events and productions, including
After starting out at the age of 10, on a drum kit made of cartons of carpet tile and pie-tin cymbals, Bryan Cooper has developed into a versatile musician, and highly sought-after drummer/percussionist. Studying under Dan Kish of the Rostetter Studis in Staten Island, New York, Bryan studied rudimentary drumming and drum music reading, focusing on swing jazz and late 1960s rock music. In addition to drums and percussion, Bryan plays some rhythm guitar, electric bass, baritone horn, and a little keyboard, and can even provide background vocals. He has performed with several rock, blues, folk and jazz ensembles, acoustic artists, marching corps, orchestras, and theatrical workshops.
Already a veteran blues and cover-band drummer, with stints in orchestra and musical theater, Bryan crossed over to the Philadelphia/South Jersey indie circuit in 2010, providing drum and percussion support for a growing number of artists. He is a regular at several local "open mics", often sharing the stage with a number local legends. For acoustic shows, he plays a box-like drum called a cajon, and is now a regular performer with many acoustic artists in the region.
In March 2010, Bryan completed a four-year stint as drummer for the South Jersey classic rock band, Friends, after playing more than 150 performances with the band dating back to April 2006. Sitting in on drums for a few songs now and then, Coop began playing rhythm guitar and percussion with Friends in the summer of 2006, and took over the duties as full-time drummer upon the departure of the band's original drummer in September of that year. He went on to get involved in promotions, setting up the band's original website, in addition to a presence on MySpace and Facebook. In March 2010, Coop left Friends and has pursued a more diverse scope of performance.
Recently appearing in many acoustic shows, playing cajon and hand percussion, Bryan is comfortable with various musical styles including Rock, Rock & Roll, Classic Rock, Power-Trio covers, Folk, Southern Rock, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Country and orchestral percussion, and he can read percussion charts. He has played in many different venues including bars, restaurants, banquet and catering facilities, theaters, indoor and outdoor concert venues and parade floats...and even backyard parties.
Bryan also volunteered for 20 years with the Mount Laurel Schools Performing Arts and STEP Theater programs where he helps out with set construction, lighting, live and streaming audio, audio recording, and has played a few stints with the student orchestra on drum kit, tympani, snare drum, hand percussion, bass and rhythm guitar
Bryan has recently begun a collaboration with high-school classmate, Tim Gleeson, a grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Tim has toured internationally, won several awards, and has several of his original songs placed in movies. Plans call for Tim and Bryan to perform in duo and trio format with Tim's long-time collborater, Arthur Austin. Tim and Arthur co-founded the highly successful band The Luck Brothers more than 25 years ago, and Bryan will taking on the drumming for that as well. Chris Angelino (Bryan's rhythm section colleague from the Scotty-L Band's "The Johnny Cash Show") rounds out the quartet.
In addition to The Luck Brothers, Bryan currently appears with
- Rusty and Jan
- George O'Brien
- Three Cat Clem
- The Jersey Peaches, featuring Kathy Lynch and Sue Pepiak
- House Drummer for the weekly Wide Open Mic at the BCH Music Cafe, Barrington NJ
- Marc Lancaster
- The Scotty-L Band / The Johnny Cash Show
- Friends Classic Rock
- Crossfire, with Steven Paul and Paul Sehnen
- Steven Paul Band
- David Rowan
- Elise Moureau
- Paul Kurrey (formerly with Jamison Smootdog's band)
- Valkyrians
- Larry Saklad (formerly with The Alan Mann Band)
- The Where*Abouts, featuring Scott "Trif" Trifeletti with Al Weinstock
- Debbie Scott
- Benita Segal
- Terry Rivel
- Shawn Would (Bryan appears on Shawn's CD, "Rise Up To The Sky")
- Mike DiFrank and Bella Voci
Guest appearances with several South Jersey/Philadelphia Metro artists, including
- Fran Smith Jr and David Kelly
- Kenn Kweder
- Gregg Carpenter
- April Chimes
- BB Jackson
- The End
- Whiskey Train
- KaJAM
- Adam Rivera
- Victoria Spaeth
- and many others.
- Barrington Coffeehouse MusicCafe, Barrington NJ
- The M Room, Philadelphia PA
- The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia PA
- World Cafe Live, Philadelphia PA
- World Cafe Live at The Queen, Wilmington DE
- Theater of the Living Arts (TLA), Philadelphia PA
- The Tin Angel, Philadelphia PA
- North Star Bar, Philadelphia PA
- National Underground, New York NY
- Triumph Brewery, Philadelphia PA
- Lickety Split, Philadelphia PA
- Connie's Ric Rac, Philadelphia PA
- The Grape Room, Philadelphia PA
- Dawson Street Pub, Philadelphia PA
- Golden Nugget Tavern, Berlin NJ
- and many other local venues
Bryan has recently appeared at many local events and productions, including
-
Mount Laurel Schools Performing Arts and STEP Theater programs (Volunteer), Mount Laurel, New Jersey (1994-2013)
- Orchestra (Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Electric Bass, Baritone Horn, Audio & Lighting)
-
Burlington County Footlighters, Cinnaminson NJ
- 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2010) - Orchestra (Drums)
- And the Winner Is (2010) - Tech (Sound Cueing)
- Baby (2011) - Orchestra (Drums)
- Mame (2011) - Tech (Lighting)
-
Cinnaminson (NJ) High School
- Pippin (2013) - Orchestra (Drums)
-
Gloucester City (NJ) Music & Art Fair
- with Kathy Lynch (2012)
- with The Jersey Peaches (2014)
-
Woodbury Fall Arts Fest
- with Three Cat Clem (2012, 2013)
-
Collingswood May Fair
- with BB Jackson (2014)
-
Philadelphia Christmas Village
- with Elise Moureau (2010, 2011)
- with Rusty & Jan (2012, 2013)
-
Jersey Jam 4MS, Camden County NJ
- with John Magill (2011)
-
MoorArts Fall Festival, Moorestown NJ
- with Steven Paul (2010)
-
Liberty Music Fest, Philadelphia PA
- with Marc Lancaster (2012)
-
Dewey Beach Music Conference, Dewey Beach DE
- with Marc Lancaster (2012)
- Percussion studies under Dan Kish, jazz and session drummer, Rostetter Studios, Great Kills, Staten Island, New York (1968-1971)
-
Holy Child Parish, Eltingville, Staten Island New York – Larry Christiansen, Director (1969-1972)
- Concert Band (Orchestral Snare, 1st chair)
- Holy Child Marching 100, and Holy Child Crusaders Color Guard and Drum Corps (Drumline Captain)
- Appeared in the PBS Film “Between Time and Timbuktu” with the Holy Child Marching 100
-
Holy Cross High School, Delran, New Jersey – Donald Newell, Director (1972-1974)
- Marching Lancers Band (Drumline Captain)
- Jazz Band (Guitar, Drums)
- Studio Band (Electric Bass, Drums)
- Concert Orchestra (Orchestral Snare, Tympani, Percussion)
- 1974 Spring Musical "Fiddler On The Roof" (Percussion)
- Brass Ensemble (Baritone Horn, Trumpet 3)
- Feeder School Percussion Instructor
-
South Jersey Orchestra, Medford, New Jersey – Frank Salicandro Sr., Director (1973)
- Orchestral Snare, Tympani
-
Raiders Drum and Baton Corps, Merchantville, New Jersey – co-directed with Lori Dell of the Dell Studios, Cherry Hill/Turnersville NJ (1973-1976)
- Drum and Bell Director
- Color Guard Director