Life and Death In Paradise + Milan Live Acoustic 2018

Description

Mike Cooper, British singer-songwriter and guitarist, wrote his latest record, a suite of dark glam-rock anthems performed with a spiritual jazz trio, while living in Spain, at a time when he was considering retiring from music entirely. A chance meeting with producer Tony Hall and a last-chance contract on his Fresh Air label convinced him to make one final album, which he recorded in 1974 at Pathway Studios in London, with "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World," featuring the inventive South African jazz rhythm section of Louis Moholo and Harry Miller alongside British saxophonist Mike Osborne. Several local heroes from Reading, including singer-songwriter Terry Clarke, also participated. The result, recorded live with minimal overdubs, is Life and Death in Paradise. Unlike anything else in Cooper's vast catalog, the record's six interwoven songs vibrate with shimmering warmth and polyphonic pastiche. Fresh Air then ran out of steam, and Life and Death became Mike Cooper's last record as a singer-songwriter. However, he remained interested in singing and writing and, influenced by Tom Phillips, William Burroughs, and Brion Gysin, began experimenting with text collage, cut-up techniques, and improvisation. The previously unreleased solo album Milan Live Acoustic 2018 represents Mike Cooper's return to a new, deconstructed approach to singing, lap steel guitar, and the art of songwriting.