The self-described “multi-dimensional drummer” in solo concerts recorded at Roulette between 2000-07. Raised in Chicago, he made history in the 70s with the Revolutionary Ensemble (with bassist Sirone and Leroy Jenkins, violin). Over the years he worked with artists from Rahsaan Roland Kirk to Anthony Braxton and Cecil Taylor. Strongly influenced by travels to Gambia, Senegal, and Indonesia, Cooper (1946-2015) fashioned a personal style that fused West African, Balinese, and Chicago free jazz traditions and regularly mixed instruments such as the balafon (African marimba), chirimia (South American oboe), and garage band synths in his performances alongside his masterful trapset.

"Tracking The Odds: The Roulette Concert Archive" is a monthly hour-long radio special produced by Roulette Intermedium (roulette.org) and broadcast in partnership with Wave Farm’s WGXC 90.7-FM and Standing Wave Radio. The broadcasts feature selected highlights from Roulette’s New York experimental music space dating from the early 1980s to the present. Thousands of rare, formative, and often unheard recordings by innovators and adventurous musicians populate the archive. Tracking The Odds airs the fourth Monday of the month from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is archived at wavefarm.org.

Founded in 1978, Roulette operates a 400-seat concert hall on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn with a focus on experimental and unorthodox music and performance across all genres and media. It's archive of thousands of audio and video recordings is currently being restored.