 The title of Jonathan Cooke’s first solo release Cosmic Casino implies many things: the existence (or not) of heaven; life as a gamble; facing each day as a game to be played; the psychedelic & abstract nature of the universe. “You get a clear sense of this when you listen to the cd, even without ingesting (too many) strange substances!”
Cooke’s roots are in Ottawa, where he studied classical piano with Andrew Tunis at the University of Ottawa. It was there that he first met Dave Draves, the acclaimed indie producer with whom he would later collaborate on Cosmic Casino. Draves has worked with Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson, Kate Makie, Wooden Stars, Julie Doiron, Howe Gelb, and many more.
After a few years as a singer/songwriter in the Paris-based pop rock band ‘The Exiles’, Cooke decided to go solo. He hooked up with Draves again in 2004 during recording sessions where they worked out the spontaneous arrangements and rough-around-the-edges playing styles that can be heard on Cosmic Casino. Cooke and Draves play all the instruments on the cd, and the fact they have known each other for twenty years drives the musical cohesiveness. Cosmic Casino was recorded and produced by Draves at Little Bullhorn Studio in Ottawa. The result truly is a refreshing album that will have strong appeal to a large cross-section of music listeners.
Splashed with vintage analogue sounds, dreamy falsetto backing vocals, Cooke’s typically bare and direct upbeat melodies and lyrics come together with Draves’sonic accents in a lilting and easy collection of catchy pop songs. Says Cooke, “If you took Wilco, Eels, Ben Folds and a bit of the Beatles, put it in a pot, let it simmer for a few days, the result could very well be Cosmic Casino.”
For music and more information:
http://www.jonathancooke.com
http://www.myspace.com/jonathancooke
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