Kopper checks ego at door to make room for collaborators

For anyone who's seen Missoula singer-songwriter Brian Kopper live or heard his first CD, Dreaming of the Sun his new CD will come as a revelation.

Kopper's acoustic guitar, so often the focus of his performances, has stepped to the side to make room for a host of other instruments, including a myriad played by Billings percussionist Clay Green. The guitar still provides a foundation for the songs, but without the overt flashiness often seen in Kopper's playing is toned down in favor of the other musicians.

"The first CD was a much sparser production, focused far more on the guitar and voice," Kopper said recently. "This time I felt like I wanted to collaborate with all these wonderful musicians I met in Montana. I don't think everyone really realizes the depth of musical talent that lives here."

Most of the musicians will be familiar to Missoulians with any connection to the local acoustic music scene - Janet Haarvig on cello; Beth Youngblood-Petersen on violin; Lawrence Duncan on sax and bassoon; Beth Bramhall-Floridis on piano; and Jenn Adams and Melody Wilson on vocals. Filling out Kopper's band for the new disc - and the release concert, as well - are Seattle bass player Clipper Anderson and percussionist Clay Green.

"What I found myself doing was trying to create space in the music for the other musicians to fill," Kopper said. "That takes putting your ego aside to make room for other things to happen."

That sense of openness extends to the new CD's lyrics, which have a dreamy, impressionistic feel, occasionally reminiscent of Bruce Cockburn's less pointed tunes.

"A lot of times I want the listeners to bring their own senses and feelings to the songs," Kopper said. "I don't necessarily want to just hand them a particular meaning and say this is all there is to the song."

Most of the emotion in Kopper's new songs, however, comes from the music, which is rich and complex, yet somehow airy. Much of that feel comes from the percussive wizardry of Green, who plays, among other instruments, mandal drum, tuned wind chimes, dulcitar, wind gong, tabla and djembe. Kopper met Green at a benefit concert in Red Lodge in 1997, and the two hit it off instantly. Even so, it took nearly a year before they got together to make music.

"I could tell that we were going to make something happen," said Kopper, who studied at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music before moving to Missoula in 1995. "Clay just has so many ideas. He really helped me reach the finished form of a lot of the songs."

Green also co-produced In Absolute Motion, which Kopper plans to sell at live shows, in Missoula music stores and over his Internet site at www.kopper.com.

For Thursday's concert, Kopper and crew plan to recreate the CD, although they'll probably extend some of the tunes and play a few other songs as well.

"The plan is for it to sound like the CD to a great extent," Kopper said.

Featured in the Entertainer in May 7-13, 1999 by Michael Moore
go back to reviews listing