Cooper, Ronald

Cellist whose early recordings include 1971’s Sergio Presents Lobo, Miles Davis’s On the Corner, some of which was recorded on 6^th June 1972, and Don Ellis’s 1974 release, Haiku.

In 1976, he recorded Feelings with Milt Jackson and Everybody Come on Out with Stanley Turrentine, and appeared on John David Souther’s Black Rose and Jimmie Spheeris’s Ports of the Heart. He also made the cut on The Best of Milt Jackson, featuring tracks from 1976 through 1978, and in between found time to record 1977’s Warm & Sonny with Sonny Criss. In 1978, he helped The Chocolate Jam Company unveil Spread of the Future, and appeared on All ‘n All with Earth, Wind & Fire, Welcome Home with Carole King, and That’s What Friends Are For with Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams . A year later, he appeared on Frank Sinatra’s boxed set, Trilogy, and was in the studio with Gabor Szabo for Femme Fatale, eventually released in 1981. In between its recording and release, he appeared on Stanley Clarke’s Rock, Pebbles and Sand, and the Earth, Wind & Fire album Faces, both released in 1980.

In 1983, he was part of The Clarke/Duke Project, Vol. 2, a collaboration between Stanley Clarke and George Duke, and re-united with Earth, Wind & Fire on Powerlight. The following year, he appeared on Julio Iglesias’s 1100 Bel Air Place. In 1985, he offered string support on Melissa Manchester’s Mathematics. Three years later, he worked with Doc Severinsen on Facets.

In 1991, he appeared on Natalie Cole’s tribute album to her father, Nat King Cole, Unforgettable: With Love, and Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto’s self-titled Joao. Albums on which he figured in 1992 were no less eclectic: Michael Bolton’s Timeless: The Classics, Chayanne’s Provocame, Shirley Horn’s Here’s to Life, and another tribute album, Diane Schuur’s In Tribute. He re-united with Shirley Horn on 1994’s I Love You, Paris and ‘ s Marvelous…The George Gershwin Songbook, 1998’s Jazz ’round Midnight, and Quiet Now…Come a Little Closer and Ultimate Shirley Horn, both released in 1999. Ronald also made the cut on 2002’s Verve Remixed and 2005’s But Beautiful: The Best of Shirley Horn. In 2005, he appeared on Ronnie Laws’ Every Generation. He is also on virtually every Earth, Wind & Fire greatest hits package, including The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire…Vol. II, Elements of Love: The Ballads, Essential Earth, Wind & Fire, and Greatest Hits. In case you missed him the first time, you can catch him in action again on Michael Bolton’s mouthful of a triple album, The Collection: Timeless: The Classics/Timeless: The Classics, Vol. 2/Love Songs.

Here is “Mounds” by the Chocolate Jam Co. on their Spread of the Future which Ronald performed on…..

Sources:

Cooper, Ronald

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