Musicians Spotlight Producer Releases CD

Brian Kopper, one of the co-producers of Montana Public Radio's "Musician's Spotlight" is celebrating the release of his second CD, In Absolute Motion, with a free concert that will be broadcast live on Montana Public Radio.

Scheduled for Thursday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the University of Montana, Missoula's Montana Theater, the concert is an evening of fine acoustic music featuring not only Kopper, who sings and plays guitar, but eight other artists who collaborated with him on the new CD: Clay Green (percussion), Clipper Anderson (double bass), Lawrence Duncan (soprano saxophone and wood winds), Beth Bramhall-Floridis (piano), Beth Youngblood-Petersen (violin), Janet Haarvig (cello) and vocalists Melody Wilson and Jenn Adams.

Kopper, who studied finger-style guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, produced his first CD in 1995, shortly before his move to Montana. When he met and married artist Julie Norris, the two began planning a second CD. At the same time, Kopper was approached and agreed to co-produce Montana Public Radio's "Musicians' Spotlight." The other producer is singer/songwriter/guitarist John n Floridis.

The program, which airs Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m., features national and regional recording artists in conversation and performing some of their favorite tunes. Highlights of the show include interviews with patty Larkin, David Wilcox, Greg Brown, Keb' Mo', The David Grisman Quintet and, recently, Lyle Lovett.

So, as Kopper was recording radio shows with these other musiacians, he was planning compositions of his own. As he explains it, "I wanted to compose music with enough space for other instrumentation, unlike finger-style playing where the goal is to make as much of the sound as possible with one instrument." It was after he met percussionist Clay Green in the fall of '97, and Green agreed to collaborate on the music, that Kopper's plans for a new CD really caught fire.

In January of '98, rehearsals began, the music evolved and Kopper persuaded other talented musicians to join the project. Most of the folks who participated (listed above) are Montanans who have performed throughout the area for some time. Kopper adopted a purist approach to their music and kept the CD 100% acoustic.

The free concert and broadcast will showcase many tunes from In Absolute Motion. The highlights include Kopper's fine writing and guitar work and Clay Green's percussive instruments from many continents. If you can't make it to the Montana Theater, be sure to tune in Thursday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m.

Featured in the spring issue of Quarter Notes 1999 by Kay D. Wilson
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