The Cooper Sessions (self-released, 2016) is a studio album from banjoist Ron Cody built around the acoustic violins crafted by Vermont luthier Jonathan Cooper — each track pairing a different guest fiddler playing one of Cooper's hand-built instruments. Cody plays banjo throughout; Wendy Cody provides bass; and guests across the album include fiddler Brittany Haas, mandolinist Jesse Brock, and Cooper himself on fiddle, among others drawn from the acoustic music community. The album's organizing concept — documenting the tonal character of individual handcrafted instruments through varied musical pairings — gives it an unusual structure, less a showcase for any single performer than an extended portrait of the luthier's craft through performance. The result is an eclectic collection of acoustic string pieces united by Cody's banjo and the consistent presence of Cooper's instruments across every track.
Tracklist
- 1 Amanda’s Reel alt version 3:21
- 2 The New Five Cents 3:24
- 3 Stompin' Time 2:56
- 4 This Can't Be Love 2:48
- 5 Backstreet 2:52
- 6 Tommy Jarrell's Bonaparte's 5:30
- 7 Golden Eagle Hornpipe 3:52
- 8 Cattle in the Cane alt version 3:00
- 9 Crazy Creek alt version 2:57
- 10 Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine Source Recording 3:00
- 11 The Cowboy's Life Is a Very Dreary Life / Snake Chapman's Tune 4:27
- 12 Acorn Stomp / High Level Hornpipe 6:57
