Shane Cooper is is a bassist, composer and producer born in Port Elizabeth and now lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Cooper took up and interest in guitar and joined his school band at aged 14 and spent time playing and listening to records at home with his drummer brother. He has no particular style, but enjoys collaborations whether working in acoustic or electric.
Cooper eventually moved away from guitar and gained an interest in jazz and the bass. This decision led to him being home-schooled to create more time for him to explore his musical interests. He graduated from the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town in 2008 with a degree in jazz performance, winning several prizes along the way. His career began playing in clubs and hotels around PE, often in company with Beyer, playing predominantly covers.
Cooper has played with a host of well-known names from Louis Moholo-Moholo to groups like Babu with Kesivan Naidoo, Restless Natives and Closet Snare. He has provided support for vocalists such as Melanie Scholtz and Lisa Bauer and has collaborated with pianist Kyle Shepherd. He has toured New York as part of the late Zim Ngqawana’s Zimology Quartet, including a gig at The Knitting Factory. Cooper also does sound design and music production for websites, television, theatre and film, and was co-composer for the award-winning stage production, Afrikaaps, co-produced by Amsterdam’s Glasshouse and Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre Centre. He has written music for the award-winning documentary Forerunners by Simon Wood, the documentary Port Nolloth: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Felix Seuffert and the short film Celia’s Story by Ruth Levin-Forster.
Discography:
– Shane Cooper – Oscillations (2013)
– Restless Natives – Acoustic & Electric (triple album)
– Kesivan & The Lights – Brotherhood (double album) (2014)
– Melanie Scholtz – Our Time (selected tracks)
– Kyle Shepherd Trio – Portrait Of Home
– Kyle Shepherd Trio – Dream State (double album) (2014)
– Kyle Shepherd – South African History !X
– Bokani Dyer – Emancipate The Story
– Bokani Dyer – Mirrors (selected tracks)
– Deep South (Dave Ledbetter & Ronan Skillen) – A Waiting Land (selected tracks)
– Zim Ngqawana – Live at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival
– Rus Nerwich – Under The Poetree (selected tracks)
– Dan Shout – Greetings and Salutations (selected tracks)
– Babu – Up Roots
– Babu – Songs For A Film
Awards:
+ 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz
+ 2014 SAMA award for Best Jazz album
Website: www.shanecoopermusic.com
Facebook: Shane Cooper Music
