Keyboardist Patrick Cooper has long admired the music of the late 1970s. Accordingly, his latest album reflects “The Way It Used To Be” in both title and style. Each instrumental taps a distinct emotion via memorable melodies and catchy rhythms. In between the classy opener “Struttin'” and the exuberant finale, “It’s Ok to Move,” smooth, silky rhythms alternate with funky jazz. Cooper’s music is the perfect recipe for a break, evenings spent unraveling from stress and contemplating better days to come. To this end, Cooper and the Secret Society Band provide the perfect blend of spice to the various venues between the District and Baltimore where they rotate gigs several evenings each week.
A resident of Upper Marlboro, Cooper is a bank vice president by day and a conjurer of romance and musical nostalgia by night. Inspiration for a song may arise at any time.
| Onstage |
| Patrick Cooper and the Secret Society Band |
| Where: 21st Amendment Bar & Grill, Capitol Hill, 550 C St. SW. |
| When: 6 p.m., Wednesday and subsequent Wednesdays |
| Info: No tickets required |
| Cooper performs solo |
| Where: Blues Alley |
| When: 8 and 10 p.m. Sept. 7 |
| Info: $20 at 202-337-4141 or bluesalley.com |
“I don’t have a set process for composing,” he said. “I might be sitting at the piano and playing one thing when another idea comes into my head. I’ll then go to a keyboard and lay it down, but I may not come back to it for a month. The songs I compose are inspired by the music I listen to, a lot of numbers from the ’70s to early ’80s and jazz from the late ’90s fused with R&B. The music of the ’70s especially fascinates me for the use of improvisation. You’d hear the drummer, the pianist or the sax player taking the stage as the spirit moved them.”
Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Cooper admired jazz artists George Duke and The Crusaders and listened to his parent’s favorite musician, Ramsey Lewis. His love of harmony propelled him to become organist of his church for several years. Although he received a marketing degree, the adventurous pianist lived in a parallel world as founder of N-Touch, a jazz band that became popular in the area. He did not contemplate leaving Portland until he visited his sister, a service member, while she was stationed in Washington.
“I fell in love with the area and the abundance of live music,” he said. “Not long after moving here, I met saxophonist Bryan Mills, a music teacher and leader of the Secret Society Band. They bring back the live band sound and music influenced by great artists like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and The Police. We have at least four gigs together every week.”
