William Ashley Cooper

Totally synth & Electronic experiments. Bizzarre & Wonderful trip thru Williams work. William Ashley Cooper was a draftsman by trade. He represented another in a long line of accomplished musician-composers who preferred working on his own without the encumbrances of outside forces such as reviewers, publishers and promoters. While he took instrument lessons (piano and accordion) as a young man, his training in music theory and history was primarily self-taught. He knew a vast amount of popular music, Christmas music, jazz standards, and classical compositions. In that area he was keenly aware of the avant-garde and other contemporary directions the classical music scene took throughout the 20th century. This wide bank of knowledge certainly accrued by way of his extensive record collection and personal reading. As a kind of Renaissance man, he lovingly followed his other hobbies: amusement parks, historical mansions, home and industrial architecture, and inter-urban rail systems. Additionally, he was fascinated by theological issues and ideas of various faiths.

Cooper died in March, 2003, at age 59 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This 2 Lp set is a memorial tribute to his remarkably gifted twin talents of composition and performance. Included are the complete set of three Phantasie Impromptus, four Incantations and lengthy passages from his two continuing works that came out in installments as it were, Mix of the Month and the Book of Floating Music. Also featured are the Introduction from his magnum opus, Ashley: My Dear, a clever take on I've Been Workin' on the Railroad and short passages of William Ashley Cooper speaking about music and his works. A must-have for all lovers and collectors of out-of-the-way electronica and keyboard aficionados. 

The Collected Works Of William Ashley Cooper was compiled & funded entirely by his friend, fellow composer and roller coaster enthusiast, Michael S. Horwood. Recordings date from 1972 - 2001. Beniffer Editions is jubilant to publish the one and only Cooper release.