A Retrospective 1990-2010 (set 1) Album

[download track-by-track liner notes here]
From Cooper-Moore:    Some of you know of my work from CD recordings: 50 Miles of Elbow Room, BLACK SAINT, HOPSCOTCH, AUM FIDELITY, CADENCE, BOXHOLDER, HATHUT, SHRUB MUSIC. But much of the music that I have produced over the years is not on CDs. Much was created for Dance and Theater performances or as exercises for my own continual study and development.
This compilation is not a complete one. Some of the music is lost, much is on cassette tapes and computer hard drives that I no longer am able to access. Some is of bad audio quality and not presentable. Some of the music is just too personal to present right now.There is great diversity of ideas on these recordings. It is the diversity that gave me the jolt to want to share them.I said to myself, "Cooper-Moore, do you hear that? Wow man, what were you thinking about when you wrote that?"So I am trying to answer that question. Clarifying queries, taking stock in past creations in order to gather up and move forward into the future, and looking at what's been on my palate these past 20 years, all seem to be what I am doing.In thinking "Retrospective," looking back, I first thought that it was something that I didn't want to do. "Look ahead," I kept saying to myself. But the realization came that it would be a good thing to delve a little into what I created in the past, into the when, the why and with whom. The voice kept speaking, "It will bring clarity to help you move forward." What have I learned? Small is Beautiful. "The Forest" stands alone and is complete. It needs nothing more. Less than one minute long it is one of the most beautiful things to come through me. I put it in my player and loop it over and over. I don't tire of it, but go deeper and deeper into my listening place and continue to be moved by its simplicity. The small form rules here. Tracks are from about one minute to three of four minutes. The improvised duos with Clayton Thomas in Set #3 go longer.  The in-concert recording of "A Lament for Trees" in Set #3 is also an exception.I possess many musical instruments that I have either bought, built or been given. The future, I hope, will bring more integration of all the voices from these instruments.   Cooper-Moore, March 2010

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