Roots Music report

Artist Profile

Scott Cooper

Santa Cruz · California · United States

About the Band
Discography

Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Scott Cooper is a veteran of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. He's best known for playing rhythm guitar in the popular Grateful Dead tribute the China Cats, for which has held the Bobby chair for over a decade. But Scott also fronts Rosebud which acts as an outlet for his prolific songwriting.

Scott's solo debut "A Leg Trick" (2012) reached #5 on the jam band radio charts, despite no label or publicity support. "A fantastic songwriter" said the Good Times (Santa Cruz).

He has since released three more CDs, and lots more singles.

"These are great songs," added KPIG radio celebrity John Sandidge

Scott has been playing with Bay Area jam band the Gary Gates Band for over decade and plays on Gary's heralded CD "San Gregorio General Store" produced by John Nowland (Neil Young, Jewel). Scott also performs acoustic solo and duo gigs throughout California and beyond, including an annual residency gig in Costa Rica. An in-demand sideman, Scott has also worked with the Banana Slug String Band, Stu Allen, Jim Lewin, as well as members of the Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Starship, David Grisman Quintet. Scott has performed with Donna Godchaux (former singer for the Grateful Dead) and Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band).

A native of St. Louis, Scott began his music career as a drummer in the house band at both Callahans Pub and Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, then later toured with blues legends Johnny Shines and Luther Tucker, as well as gigs with local legend and Scott's hero Robert Lowery. Then he played in a band called Mean Business with Ben Ellman (later with Galactic) and Luca Fredericksen (later with Wolfman Washington). After that, he played in Little Danny & the Rollercoasters with Rusty Zinn and Marc Carino, later of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In the 90s, he worked with a popular jam band called Deep Blue Sea, where he honed his songwriting craft. From there it was on to play with Relix Records jam band Stackabones, where Scott moved from behind the drums to playing bass, and contributing original material. Scott has since recorded three CDs with Stackabones, on which he plays drums, bass, guitar and keyboards. Scott is endorsed by K&K Pickups and Curt Magnan Strings.

When he's not gigging or recording his prolific repertoire of original material, Scott works as Booking Agent for two San Francisco Bay Area venues (Sam's Chowder House and Testarossa Winery) and works as Office Manager for Rick Turner/Renaissance Guitars. Previously he taught guitar at UC-Santa Cruz, worked as a sales rep for Drumskull Drums, syndicated music journalist for the NY Times syndicate and LA Times syndicate, blues deejay at KUSP, new age deejay at KLRS, Program Manager at KSCO, and Editor for OnRadio, supplying CD reviews, music news and artist interviews to radio stations' web sites.