Reader Spotlight: Eric Cooper
Meet Eric Cooper (aka Coop a Loop), a bassist who got his start 19 years ago, thanks to Victor Wooten.
Eric is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight (you could be next). Here’s his story…
Bio:
After hearing Victor Wooten when I was 14 years old, I knew that all I wanted to do with my life was play bass. 19 years later and I still feel the exact same way. Throughout my years I have played with my band The Funky T in clubs and venues in and around Philadelphia, we spent a few years traveling the world while playing on cruise ships. After many years of playing with my band as well as taking on a sideman role for many artists who are also friends (Emily Drinker, John Gilbride, Maggie Mae) I have started releasing my own solo music. My music is all based around live looping with my bass and effects pedals. I have released 2 albums in the last year, one that is more of a full band vibe and another that was recorded live with just me, my loop station, and my effects pedals. In addition to creating music with my solo project and with my friends, I have also started the adventure of teaching bass during this last year. I can’t wait to see where else playing the bass takes me on my journey in life!
Location:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Years experience:
19 years
Why I play the bass:
I heard Victor Wooten’s album A Show Of Hands when I was 14 and I was like, I wanna do that!
Gear:
I have a Modulus Genesis V which is my main bass. I also have a Warwick Corvette Standard 5 string, a 4 string Fender Jazz bass (my first bass) and a Taylor GS mini acoustic bass.
I play through an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and a Markbass 2×10 cabinet.
Pedals:
- Boomerang 3 Phrase Sampler
- MXR bass compressor
- Source Audio C4 Synth
- MXR bass octave deluxe
- Source Audio Aftershock distortion
- Source Audio Soundblox pro bass envelope filter
- MXR phase 95
- Cascade Pedals bass chorus
- TC electronic Hall of Fame 2 reverb
- TC electronic Polytune 2
- Aguilar Tone Hammer DI
My Influences:
Victor Wooten, Joe Dart, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Les Claypool, Flea, Lotus, Umphrey’s McGee, Stevie Wonder, Vulfpeck, Cory Wong
My bass superpower/claim to fame:
My bass superpower is my ability to use live looping to create a massive “one-man band” sound. Using nothing but my bass, loop pedal, and effects pedals, my solo music is filled with funky grooves and beautiful melodies to create music that is unapologetically over the top, while still staying in the pocket.
More on the web:
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