Concert Review: JP Cooper Makes Rough Trade NYC His Living Room
JP Cooper is The Man From Manchester that can sing like Missouri. From his first song, he had more riffs than a Christina Aguilera Gospel Album, and the crowd loved it. The humble “bloke” ( excuse, my attempt at British slang) enraptured the audience with cool conversation, and his ability to make you feel like you were hearing his album for the first time.
I reviewed JP’s Raised Under Grey Skies, and from entering the venue, I could see it was filled with his fans. His name did not leave discussion without, at least, one “I love him” said after. Thus, I knew I was going to get a good show based off the record and the crowd. Yet, there are moments when JP sings that you feel like you never knew him before then. He revamps tracks like, “She’s On My Mind”, “September Song”, and “Change” into fresh music for your ears. If you are like me, and have listened to his album a thousand times, you will be happily surprised to see how new they sound live.
JP Cooper – Closer (Official Video)
It is a true, gifted artist that can transform their music to have different lives depending on an outlet, from radio to album and the concert. While Cooper’s voice makes you melt with its burning emotionality, it is his heart that warms you up. He is a superbly friendly guy that turns concert lounges into living rooms with friends. This only made people love him more, but it was his prelude to the track “Closer” that made everyone gain permanent residency in his fandom. The song, about his son, was dedicated to the boy; now recovering from an asthma attack. As he recounted the harrowing experience, you could feel the fatherly love lighten him. Cooper is incredibly open with his feelings, which draws you in to him as a person. Not everybody will go on a microphone, and discuss how they felt “too old” to be blessed with their dream, finally, coming true, i.e. recording artist.
JP Cooper – September Song (Live at The Church)
I do not know where JP Cooper got that he was “too old”, but he certainly has an old soul. The highlight of the night, for me, was JP’s cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. John Lennon is difficult to cover, not only because he is a legend, but also because he is so simple. He preferred a straight-laced voice to convey his insightful poetry/ lyricism. Thus, I admired and reveled in JP’s capacity to transform a John Lennon classic into a spiritual hymn. Suddenly, you FELT he was a jealous guy, and the man smiling two seconds ago was now frothing in sung insecurities. For me, if JP can make a legend’s music sound unique to him then that makes him a legend, as well. For More Information On JP Cooper Click Here.
JP Cooper – She’s On My Mind (Official Video)
