Alto Saxophonist and Composer
Having won an international scholarship in 2005 when she was 16, Leah went to the world-famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, where she has studied with such jazz icons as George Garzone, Joe Lovano, Dave Samuels, Kenwood Dennard and Tiger Okoshi. Leah graduated from Berklee in May 2009 and is now embarking on a two-year Masters in Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory. She currently leads her own group, Human Equivalent, and participates in various projects in Boston. Before moving to the USA, she was a member of the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and the Dumfries Youth Jazz Orchestra.
06th Mar 2010
Young Scottish saxophonist Leah Gough-Cooper has come a long way since she won an international scholarship to Berklee College of Music aged just 16. Still only 20, 2009 found her releasing her second album and playing at the London Jazz Festival. Supported in Human Equivalent by guitar, bass, keys and drums, Future Pop was recorded [...]
Read more...01st Mar 2010
Patrick Kunka, ‘The Edge’, ShredAhead SA001 (three stars)
Patrick Kunka (d), Leah Gough-Cooper (as), Alan Benzie (p) and Dylan Coleman (b). Rec. Feb 2009.
It’s a bit early to be selecting a new-star album of the year, but this may well turn out to be it. Kunka, who hails from that ultra-hip jazz Mecca of Aberdeen, is [...]
27th Feb 2010
Patrick Kunka Quartet – The Edge (4 stars)
This debut album from Aberdeen-born drummer Patrick Kunka was originally issued last summer, but was rather overlooked at the time. Some positive recent response has encouraged him to re-promote it, and it more than justifies that decision. Kunka is currently based in Boston after studying at Berklee College, [...]
27th Jan 2010
Leah Gough-Cooper’s Human Equivalent ‘Future Pop’ (three stars)
Leah Gough-Cooper (as,ss), Serghio Jansen (g), Alan Benzie (p, Rhodes, kys), Martin Nessi (b) and Patrick Kunka (dr)
A Scottish band made up of former Berklee students and young award winning Scottish jazz musicians is fronted by a saxophonist-composer barely out of her teens. This makes the level of [...]
04th Jan 2010
好的節慶絕對不會孤單，總能引起四方共鳴。今年邁向第十八屆的嘉義市國際管樂節，有來自美國、日本、 泰國、新加坡、內蒙古等五國10隊的國外樂團前來共襄盛舉。其中，來自美國的美國類人樂團Human Equivalent Band，更是為了參與今年的嘉義市國際管樂節特別號召來七位自美國、蘇格蘭、南美洲的阿魯巴及智利等四個國家的管樂傑出好手，所組成的一個精兵管樂團。 嘉義管樂節跨海來台在1/1音樂廳，以及1/2中正公園的二場精采演出，讓嘉義市民欣賞到絕佳的管樂美聲。
2007年夏天，美國類人樂團 Human Equivalent Band由目前就讀Berklee College of Music(美國波士頓的音樂學院)身懷音樂絕技的高材生所組成的樂團。薩克斯風樂手首兼作曲家的Leah Gough-Cooper歷經童年時期爵士、搖滾、嘻哈、放克的淬練，在進入美國波士頓的音樂學院兩年後，即開始為樂團創作，直到現在，他仍不斷挑戰各團 員的演奏技能，以及自我的音樂創作極限。
「類人」樂團演奏的風格，既含括沙發音樂及放克的元素，同時也兼有成熟的扎帕風(Zappa)， 團員們洋溢的音樂才華，在他們百分百的演奏默契中充分地流露。而類人樂團的演奏風格，也受到不同演奏風格的音樂家含括Herbie Hancock到The Weather Report，以及前衛派的Frank Zappa所影響，再經過團員們的吸收並重新創作詮釋後，成為美國類人樂團自身獨樹一格的演出新風格。樂團在探尋爵士樂的路上，以一種激進兼具實驗性的方 式，作為他們詮釋心中音樂風貌的表演形式，在創新與顛覆的音樂演出中，也不失對傳統音樂的堅持與喜愛。
原為五部爵士樂團，Human Equivalent:EAST則是特別為嘉義國際管樂節組成的樂團，每個團員都曾與爵士大師如Terri Lyne Carrington，Fred Wesley，Randal Corsen及Barry Eastmond合演過，樂手來自世界各地：蘇格蘭的薩克斯風樂手Leah Gough-Cooper，來自南美洲自治國阿魯巴的電吉他手Serghio Jansen，以及智利的貝斯手Martin Nessi，各個樂手都有著令人拍手叫絕的拿手演奏本領。
鼓手Massimo Buonanno (曾與Freda Goodlet 及 John Mayer合作)、鋼琴手Chad Selph，小號Vivek Patel (Alex Brown, Paquito DRivera), 打擊樂Arturo Pena (Orquestra Bacharengue)。
開春不可不聽的跨越國界的管樂好旋律。一起聆聽美國類人樂團以他們前衛不失傳統，搖滾不失純真，爵士中帶著個性的管樂合奏，隨著來自世界不同國家的年輕音樂好手，用充滿朝氣與能量的氣勢，以好音樂迎接新的一年。(本文引自嘉義市府消息)
http://sixstar.cca.gov.tw/blog/A600019/myBlogArticleAction.do?method=doListArticleByPk&articleId=7282
26th Aug 2008
Leah Gough-Cooper�s Human Equivalent/N.Y.Jazz Orchestra of Scotland
26 August 2008
Saxophonist Leah Gough-Cooper, from Dumfries, has already moved on from youth level to study at Berklee, where she’s developing not just her own lithe alto style but a fine line in idiosyncratic compositions, too. Her band are collectively alive to any time signature quirks or twists in the blues form and all solo with confidence and purpose…
18th Sep 2007
BLACK BOTTLE ISLAY JAZZ FESTIVAL
VARIOUS VENUES, ISLAY
18 September 2007
Up’n'coming Dumfriesshire-born saxophonist Leah Gough-Cooper, currently studying at the prestigious Berklee College in Boston, enhanced her burgeoning reputation with Saturday’s arrestingly assured and sophisticated set in Port Ellen, her authoritative, atmospheric playing and inventive original compositions complemented by excellent work from her three-piece band.
27th Jun 2007
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Benzie and Gough-Cooper stood out, and Dave Batchelor, the chairman of the judges, explained that it had come down to the narrowest of margins between them. I confess I felt Gough-Cooper was the most creative and adventurous player on a night when convention rather ruled, but the award went to local boy Benzie, an exceptionally talented 17 year old and a worthy inaugural holder of the title. I expect to hear much more from all of them.
27th Jun 2007
Glasgow Jazz Festival
June 27 2007
Alto saxophonist Leah Gough-Cooper received a special commendation. A tremendous prospect, she fully engaged with the house band on her own composition, a forward-looking The Last Parabola.
