And all that Jazz...
Muirsical Conversation with Alyn Cosker
Scottish musician Alyn Cosker started playing the drums at 13 years old and not long after was performing in various school ensembles and regional big bands.
Aged 16, he won an International Scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music, but chose to study at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow where he graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Applied Music.
Building up a reputation and becoming a regular on the Scottish Jazz circuit, the drummer found himself going on to record or perform with over two dozen noted national and international musicians including Tommy Smith, Courtney Pine, the late Bheki Mseleku, Paul Towndrow, Frank Gambale and Keith Tippet.
In 2005 Alyn became the resident drummer with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO) and for the past 7 years has been the power behind the kit in the Scottish celtic rock band Wolfstone.
In 2009 Alyn’s first solo album, Lyn’s Une, was released.
I caught up with the accomplished sticksman during a gap in what is a busy and almost constant musical schedule while he was visiting family and friends in Ayrshire, the area of Scotland in which we were both born and bred.
Ross Muir: Continuing the theme of the introduction Alyn, you work with the SNJO, Wolfstone and your own jazz-fusion trio. You have a long list of guest appearances with noted jazz musicians and although I mentioned you have recorded and/ or performed with over two dozen name musicians in jazz, it’s nearer forty when you include all genres and individuals. How the hell do you find the time? (laughs)
Alyn Cosker: I love to play, it’s my passion… it’s a major part of my life. I’m as happy playing a simple groove as creating and playing a ten-minute drum solo, honestly. My background is jazz, and… well, it’s definitely my first love, but I don’t want to be known as a drummer who just plays one style, you know, “Alyn Cosker, Be-bop drummer.” I want to play all styles. I love to play rock. I’m very lucky too in that I have had great teachers going as far back as my school days. I want to be the best drummer I can be, and playing so many styles is very satisfying.
RM: And these gigs come via the SNJO, reputation, word of mouth?
AC: A bit of them all, really. A lot of it is being available and being able to sit in and take on different jobs. When I first joined Wolfstone that took up most of my time as they were very busy, plenty of dates and festival appearances, but as time went on and the years went by that work got quieter. The guys were doing other things and Duncan (Chisholm) was guesting and touring with other musicians and doing folk festivals. So I started to pick up other work and yeah, probably word of mouth mostly. I’m just extremely lucky to be in a position where I can do what I love and play with great musicians and get paid for it. I’m also lucky that I can do this while still living in my own country and live close enough to Ayr to visit my folks and friends in the area.
RM: One of your more recent appearances with a name performer that caught my eye was Martha and The Vandellas…
AC: Oh that was a great honour, to play with a true legend like Martha Reeves.
A great learning experience too. Those old Motown grooves and the drum sound…it’s totally different to the more traditional sound of a bass drum in rock, there is more open, rounder sound, very much part of the overall sound (Alyn proceeds to mimic the sounds and the rhythms).
RM: You’re clearly comfortable in many musical roles…
AC: I love most styles and listen to a lot of styles… jazz, rock, funk, R&B, pop, big band, electronica. When I was growing up and practicing I would have tape after tape of all sorts of great music and drum along to them… a lot of jazz, but rock too. I’d be playing along to Rush then big band swing like the Count Basie Orchestra.
I did that all the time, entire tapes, not just a track or two.
RM: Any major influences in those formative years?
AC: I was listening to just about every great drummer but Steve Gadd was a huge influence. He is just incredible, and can cover so many styles. He isn’t just playing the drums, he’s playing a musical instrument. It’s his musicality… he would be playing melodies on the kit.
RM: I was talking to Scott Higham from progressive rock band Pendragon recently about that very thing. The best drummers approach and play the kit as a musical instrument, not a set of drums to knock out a beat. You and Scott are great examples of drummers swimming in very different musical waters but with very similar traits as regards ability, dedication and potential to become leaders in your field.
AC: That’s great, drummers are finally starting to be recognised! (laughs)
RM: If we could talk about the solo album for a while. I found it to be a quite striking and varied album, ranging from jazz to fusion to funk and featuring trio pieces, brass, and a little vocal. For all the intricacy and different textures and time signatures, it was also fairly accessible.
AC: Oh, thank you. I had a lot of ideas for the album and wanted to present different sides to my playing. I was also lucky to have so many great musicians appear on the album and contribute. And having Davie (Dunsmuir, guitars) and Ross (Hamilton, bass) as the core unit was great because we know each other so well.
RM: Well the familiarity of having Davie and Ross to play off and work with would do no harm, being the other two thirds of the Alyn Cosker Trio. And of course Davie performs with Wolfstone and Ross has worked with that band.
AC: That’s right. I’ve known them both a long time and they are good friends. In fact the funny thing is Davie and I met at school, lost touch for a few years, I think we met back up at a wedding, then end up playing together in Wolfstone and the Trio. When I started to play drums seriously, I remember seeing Davie play guitar in a secondary school band and he was amazing, just a natural talent. I was talking to someone else about it at the time and they said “and he’s a better drummer than you, too!” (laughs). So of course that made me even more determined and I went straight to the music rooms every spare minute of every day to practice even more!
RM: Talking of Davie and having just said I found the album “fairly accessible,” it starts with a fairly challenging number including a section in 9/8. I believe it was Davie who named the piece ‘Oh Dear’ (laughs).
AC: That’s right. When I originally brought the piece to Davie and Ross it was untitled but I had written ‘Oh Dear’ above the 9/8 section. Davie reckoned it was the perfect title!
Oh Dear (featuring Tommy Smith)
Muirsical Conversation with Alyn Cosker
Scottish musician Alyn Cosker started playing the drums at 13 years old and not long after was performing in various school ensembles and regional big bands.
Aged 16, he won an International Scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music, but chose to study at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow where he graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Applied Music.
Building up a reputation and becoming a regular on the Scottish Jazz circuit, the drummer found himself going on to record or perform with over two dozen noted national and international musicians including Tommy Smith, Courtney Pine, the late Bheki Mseleku, Paul Towndrow, Frank Gambale and Keith Tippet.
In 2005 Alyn became the resident drummer with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO) and for the past 7 years has been the power behind the kit in the Scottish celtic rock band Wolfstone.
In 2009 Alyn’s first solo album, Lyn’s Une, was released.
I caught up with the accomplished sticksman during a gap in what is a busy and almost constant musical schedule while he was visiting family and friends in Ayrshire, the area of Scotland in which we were both born and bred.
Ross Muir: Continuing the theme of the introduction Alyn, you work with the SNJO, Wolfstone and your own jazz-fusion trio. You have a long list of guest appearances with noted jazz musicians and although I mentioned you have recorded and/ or performed with over two dozen name musicians in jazz, it’s nearer forty when you include all genres and individuals. How the hell do you find the time? (laughs)
Alyn Cosker: I love to play, it’s my passion… it’s a major part of my life. I’m as happy playing a simple groove as creating and playing a ten-minute drum solo, honestly. My background is jazz, and… well, it’s definitely my first love, but I don’t want to be known as a drummer who just plays one style, you know, “Alyn Cosker, Be-bop drummer.” I want to play all styles. I love to play rock. I’m very lucky too in that I have had great teachers going as far back as my school days. I want to be the best drummer I can be, and playing so many styles is very satisfying.
RM: And these gigs come via the SNJO, reputation, word of mouth?
AC: A bit of them all, really. A lot of it is being available and being able to sit in and take on different jobs. When I first joined Wolfstone that took up most of my time as they were very busy, plenty of dates and festival appearances, but as time went on and the years went by that work got quieter. The guys were doing other things and Duncan (Chisholm) was guesting and touring with other musicians and doing folk festivals. So I started to pick up other work and yeah, probably word of mouth mostly. I’m just extremely lucky to be in a position where I can do what I love and play with great musicians and get paid for it. I’m also lucky that I can do this while still living in my own country and live close enough to Ayr to visit my folks and friends in the area.
RM: One of your more recent appearances with a name performer that caught my eye was Martha and The Vandellas…
AC: Oh that was a great honour, to play with a true legend like Martha Reeves.
A great learning experience too. Those old Motown grooves and the drum sound…it’s totally different to the more traditional sound of a bass drum in rock, there is more open, rounder sound, very much part of the overall sound (Alyn proceeds to mimic the sounds and the rhythms).
RM: You’re clearly comfortable in many musical roles…
AC: I love most styles and listen to a lot of styles… jazz, rock, funk, R&B, pop, big band, electronica. When I was growing up and practicing I would have tape after tape of all sorts of great music and drum along to them… a lot of jazz, but rock too. I’d be playing along to Rush then big band swing like the Count Basie Orchestra.
I did that all the time, entire tapes, not just a track or two.
RM: Any major influences in those formative years?
AC: I was listening to just about every great drummer but Steve Gadd was a huge influence. He is just incredible, and can cover so many styles. He isn’t just playing the drums, he’s playing a musical instrument. It’s his musicality… he would be playing melodies on the kit.
RM: I was talking to Scott Higham from progressive rock band Pendragon recently about that very thing. The best drummers approach and play the kit as a musical instrument, not a set of drums to knock out a beat. You and Scott are great examples of drummers swimming in very different musical waters but with very similar traits as regards ability, dedication and potential to become leaders in your field.
AC: That’s great, drummers are finally starting to be recognised! (laughs)
RM: If we could talk about the solo album for a while. I found it to be a quite striking and varied album, ranging from jazz to fusion to funk and featuring trio pieces, brass, and a little vocal. For all the intricacy and different textures and time signatures, it was also fairly accessible.
AC: Oh, thank you. I had a lot of ideas for the album and wanted to present different sides to my playing. I was also lucky to have so many great musicians appear on the album and contribute. And having Davie (Dunsmuir, guitars) and Ross (Hamilton, bass) as the core unit was great because we know each other so well.
RM: Well the familiarity of having Davie and Ross to play off and work with would do no harm, being the other two thirds of the Alyn Cosker Trio. And of course Davie performs with Wolfstone and Ross has worked with that band.
AC: That’s right. I’ve known them both a long time and they are good friends. In fact the funny thing is Davie and I met at school, lost touch for a few years, I think we met back up at a wedding, then end up playing together in Wolfstone and the Trio. When I started to play drums seriously, I remember seeing Davie play guitar in a secondary school band and he was amazing, just a natural talent. I was talking to someone else about it at the time and they said “and he’s a better drummer than you, too!” (laughs). So of course that made me even more determined and I went straight to the music rooms every spare minute of every day to practice even more!
RM: Talking of Davie and having just said I found the album “fairly accessible,” it starts with a fairly challenging number including a section in 9/8. I believe it was Davie who named the piece ‘Oh Dear’ (laughs).
AC: That’s right. When I originally brought the piece to Davie and Ross it was untitled but I had written ‘Oh Dear’ above the 9/8 section. Davie reckoned it was the perfect title!
Oh Dear (featuring Tommy Smith)
RM: That’s quite an opening statement you’re making….
AC: Well, Ross and Davie are both such great players. Ross is also great with production so can take something away and think of how it will sound, not just how it should be played and go away and look at it from that perspective. And Davie is such a brilliant guitarist that he can take on anything given to him. He can burn the fretboard or play very melodically.
RM: And saxophone great Tommy Smith features on ‘Oh Dear’ as well as guesting on many other tracks on the album.
AC: Tommy is another brilliant player and it was great to have him on the album.
RM: Your musical kinship with Tommy goes back further than the solo album though and he is also a featured musician in the SNJO. Is it fair to call him both a friend and musical mentor?
AC: Well he’s definitely been an influence and has helped me enormously. You can’t help but learn from guys like Tommy. Paul Towndrow and his quartet were another influence and Paul plays on my solo album. But Tommy is such a brilliant player and nice guy. He has helped me with my career since I was 14 or 15 years old when I was picking up a reputation playing in regional big bands. Actually, yes, I would say he is also a mentor.
RM: You have also had excellent teachers as you mentioned earlier. One such is Jack Logan from Ayr. You dedicated a track on your album, ‘Logan’s Slogans,’ to him…
AC: Yes, Jack was a great teacher. He never had a problem speaking his mind so you knew when you were doing something wrong! He had great sayings or phrases, too, dozens of them. If the class was getting ahead of themselves or wanting to play he would jump in with one or two. For example if it was recorder class and he heard something he would say “Did I say blaw?!” (laughs), if there were guitars being picked up it was “Did I say strum?!” ‘Logan’s Slogans’ we called them, hence the name of the song.
RM: Does he know you dedicated a song to him?
AC: Yes. He’s retired now but I went to see him not long after the album was released and played it for him. I hadn’t seen him in years but it was like picking up from the day before and we just talked. It was great to see him again.
RM: Jumping back to Tommy Smith, he recommended you to vibraphonist Joe Locke in 2004. You played in Joe’s 4 Walls of Freedom band when you deputised for drummer Gary Novak.
AC: That’s right, yes. That was a great experience. I did a few shows with Joe at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, Tommy was part of the band. Gary Novak is another of those drummers that I admire, he’s a true great. And here I am replacing Gary Novak…
RM: Nerve wracking?
AC: Well it was a big pair of shoes to fill, so I was concentrating more on not making mistakes in the first couple of shows. But once I got to the third show and beyond, I was definitely more relaxed. I was pleased, I thought I held my own, and I really enjoyed the experience.
RM: For all the versatility you have shown in the bands you have worked with and for all the intricacy that’s prevalent on Lyn’s Une, there are places where you’re clearly just having too much fun. ‘Straight Through Boogaloo’ from the album comes to mind…
Straight Through Boogaloo (featuring Davie Dunsmuir and Ross Hamilton)
AC: Well, Ross and Davie are both such great players. Ross is also great with production so can take something away and think of how it will sound, not just how it should be played and go away and look at it from that perspective. And Davie is such a brilliant guitarist that he can take on anything given to him. He can burn the fretboard or play very melodically.
RM: And saxophone great Tommy Smith features on ‘Oh Dear’ as well as guesting on many other tracks on the album.
AC: Tommy is another brilliant player and it was great to have him on the album.
RM: Your musical kinship with Tommy goes back further than the solo album though and he is also a featured musician in the SNJO. Is it fair to call him both a friend and musical mentor?
AC: Well he’s definitely been an influence and has helped me enormously. You can’t help but learn from guys like Tommy. Paul Towndrow and his quartet were another influence and Paul plays on my solo album. But Tommy is such a brilliant player and nice guy. He has helped me with my career since I was 14 or 15 years old when I was picking up a reputation playing in regional big bands. Actually, yes, I would say he is also a mentor.
RM: You have also had excellent teachers as you mentioned earlier. One such is Jack Logan from Ayr. You dedicated a track on your album, ‘Logan’s Slogans,’ to him…
AC: Yes, Jack was a great teacher. He never had a problem speaking his mind so you knew when you were doing something wrong! He had great sayings or phrases, too, dozens of them. If the class was getting ahead of themselves or wanting to play he would jump in with one or two. For example if it was recorder class and he heard something he would say “Did I say blaw?!” (laughs), if there were guitars being picked up it was “Did I say strum?!” ‘Logan’s Slogans’ we called them, hence the name of the song.
RM: Does he know you dedicated a song to him?
AC: Yes. He’s retired now but I went to see him not long after the album was released and played it for him. I hadn’t seen him in years but it was like picking up from the day before and we just talked. It was great to see him again.
RM: Jumping back to Tommy Smith, he recommended you to vibraphonist Joe Locke in 2004. You played in Joe’s 4 Walls of Freedom band when you deputised for drummer Gary Novak.
AC: That’s right, yes. That was a great experience. I did a few shows with Joe at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, Tommy was part of the band. Gary Novak is another of those drummers that I admire, he’s a true great. And here I am replacing Gary Novak…
RM: Nerve wracking?
AC: Well it was a big pair of shoes to fill, so I was concentrating more on not making mistakes in the first couple of shows. But once I got to the third show and beyond, I was definitely more relaxed. I was pleased, I thought I held my own, and I really enjoyed the experience.
RM: For all the versatility you have shown in the bands you have worked with and for all the intricacy that’s prevalent on Lyn’s Une, there are places where you’re clearly just having too much fun. ‘Straight Through Boogaloo’ from the album comes to mind…
Straight Through Boogaloo (featuring Davie Dunsmuir and Ross Hamilton)
AC: It goes back to what I said earlier about having so many different ideas for the album, and having faith in Davie and Ross who became the core of those recordings. They didn’t play on all the songs, but that song features the three of us. And I didn’t want to be too serious throughout the album or even with the album itself. That’s why we have the cover we have. I wanted to have some fun with it.
Alyn gets his feet, and kit, wet on the cover of his solo album, Lyn's Une
RM: And then there’s the album title to go with that cover. Lyne’s Une is an interesting phrase and is also the title of one of the tracks. I initially thought it might be Scots Gaelic or a bastardisation of something meaning "Alyn’s One" or "Alyn Solo."
AC: I wish I was that clever (laughs) but that wasn’t how it came about…
RM: …no, indeed, but how the title came about is a great story. Would you mind repeating it for those that won’t be aware of that story?
AC: My dad was helping to score the tune in a music programme and the track was to be titled ‘Alyn’s Tune.’ But as he was adding the title he missed out the first letter of each word, quite unintentionally. I liked his version better and it stuck!
RM: Your dad of course is a pianist and Musical Director. Another influence?
AC: He never forced me to follow music, but music was around me from such a young age. Once he realised I was serious about the drums and it was what I wanted to do he encouraged me and it’s great that he has been involved.
RM: So there’s a chance we may hear Cosker Senior and Cosker Junior playing together at some point in the future?
AC: (laughs) You never know! Actually, we did play together when the album was being released. I was doing a set in Caprice in Ayr (a bar restaurant that features live music on occasion) and my dad was there. We encouraged him to come up and play some piano and although reluctant at first he did. That was great, and everyone enjoyed it.
RM: You mentioned music being around you from a young age. Were you hitting pots and pans as a child?
AC: I think I was, yes. My older brother played drums so that was an influence but I was always drumming, playing along to records and tapes, like I mentioned earlier.
RM: I’m more used to hearing about budding drummers hitting pots and pans whilst playing along to drum solos by the likes of John Bonham, but I’m presuming you would more likely be listening to, or playing along to, Buddy Rich?
AC: Both! As I said earlier, it was rock and jazz, big band, swing… I played along to a lot of Buddy Rich but I also played along to ‘Moby Dick’ (John Bonham’s noted drum solo). That is the ultimate rock drum solo. I tried to copy them exactly but of course you never can and as you develop your own style you learn from those drummers and bring your own technique.
RM: That’s interesting you said that because I was going to mention Steve Smith a little later, but this is the perfect time because that's exactly what he preaches. Learn from the greats while developing your own skill set.
AC: Well Steve is such a student of the art and you do learn from the greats. Steve Gadd, who I mentioned earlier, was a huge influence early on. We’re following in their footsteps.
RM: From copying others to learning through good teachers to honing those skills… suddenly the likes of Tommy Smith are taking notice and by your mid-20s you’re a sought after drummer and sitting behind the kit for both the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Wolfstone. That’s not too shabby, Alyn…
AC: Well, I just try and be the best drummer I can. I’ve had great teachers and been very lucky with my career.
RM: That’s as may be, but I think exceptional talent has a lot to do with it.
AC: Thank you very much but… I don’t want to keep repeating myself or sounding like a broken record but I had such a great grounding, with my family, and being encouraged, having great teachers. I’m… blessed, to be in this position. I want to continue to get better, be a drummer who can play many styles and be known as a great drummer.
RM: Well being comfortable in many styles is apparent in your work with the SNJO and Wolfstone, but there is also the Alyn Cosker Trio with Davie and Ross…
AC: Yes. That’s just great fun and Davie and Ross are monster musicians. Again, I’m so lucky to be able to play with not just good friends but great musicians.
RM: We mentioned Buddy Rich earlier and you also featured in a SNJO Tribute to Buddy Rich, touring the performance. That must have been both satisfying and challenging, I would imagine...
AC: That was a great experience but, honestly, I was very anti-social for a month before it (laughs). I literally locked myself away and listened to all the CD’s, learned all the arrangements and tried to get a feel for Buddy’s playing. That’s when I recognised my limitations as a drummer though. You can’t be Buddy Rich, so I brought some of my own technique to it, but I wanted to bring as much of Buddy to it as possible. Watching film of him and listening to all his work did make a difference in my own playing though.
RM: Really?
AC: yeah, I learned from it and changed my own style slightly, things like how I sit at the kit, on the drum stool…
RM: ...which goes back to what Steve Smith is teaching, learning from those greats. Another similarity with Smitty is he too has performed Buddy Rich material, in his case with many of Buddy’s original band. It’s not every drummer who can even consider doing Buddy Rich tributes…
AC: …that’s why I disappeared for a month, just practising and listening to his playing!
RM: What you have said, as regards your dedication to practice, copying another drummer to the best of your ability because a show requires it, earlier comments as regards growing up with music in the family and dedication to the art… this is all remarkably similar to Scott Higham who I mentioned earlier.
AC: I must check him out.
RM: Well that’s part of what I find intriguing. You come from such different backgrounds musically, yet you both have very similar traits when it comes to how you approach your profession. That approach separates the potential greats from the not so greats.
AC: Well, thank you. I know I’m repeating myself, again (laughs), but I’m lucky to have had great teachers and be in this position where I love what I am doing. There’s always something to learn, you never master it all so you continue to practice, learn from others, wanting to become the best you can be. That’s why Steve (Smith) is such a talent. He is the ultimate student, always learning.
RM: And another Steve Smith commonality, albeit an indirect one, is that one of the many exceptional musicians you have appeared with is guitarist Frank Gambale. I’m a huge fan of Frank’s playing and style. He played with Steve’s Vital Information band for some 16 years.
AC: Oh that was a real privilege. Frank was just such a nice guy. He was putting together a band to play in Edinburgh a few years ago. He sent through the song-sheets and then when we got together he was a pleasure to play with and to be around. A technically brilliant player.
RM: We must talk a little about Wolfstone. That sounds, and looks, like a lot of fun, playing and performing with the Wolf pack.
AC: Oh it is, and they are just such a great bunch of guys and very talented musicians. There’s Davie, Colin Cunningham is such a great bass player, Stevie (Saint) just loves the pipes, knows everything about the instrument, brilliant player. Duncan (Chisholm) is one of the best fiddle players around and Stuart (Eaglesham) is the quiet man of the group but he’s picking up on what everyone is saying, what everyone is doing. Great singer.
RM: Any music or musicians catching your ear currently?
AC: I’ve been listening to Biffy Clyro lately, from our neck of the woods. Also the singer Imogen Heap. And I’m getting into a lot of classical music right now, discovering some beautiful pieces like ‘Clair de lune.’
RM: Claude Debussy has composed some truly beautiful stuff, especially for piano. You should check out some of the Preludes.
AC: That’s the sort of thing I’m enjoying, picking up on what is new to me and listening to different artists. I’ve started listening to Kate Bush a lot, Aerial is just an incredible album, she has such a musicality. I was watching an older documentary on her not long ago and she had been arranging a piece with horns. After the run-through she would say to one player “watch your pitch,” or “the G you played was G sharp.” She was hearing this by ear. Incredible.
RM: Oh you won’t get an argument from me, I’m a huge fan of her works from right back to the piano demos of original material she was recording when she was 15.
A true creative talent. That’s actually a great tie-in Alyn, because as we close out this Muirsical Conversation I’d like to mention the Lyn’s Une song that features a lovely female vocal. ‘When Autumn Comes’ highlights singer Maureen McMullan.
AC: Yes. I wanted something different to end the album with and wanted to feature Maureen. But we were due to record it the next day in the studio and I only had a basic idea of what I wanted. I had the time signatures, but Maureen came up with the melody and the lyrics in one evening - the evening before the next day’s recording!
RM: An unexpected finish to the album, but certainly not an unpleasant one. Quite the opposite.
AC: Thank you. I was very pleased with it. Maureen is a wonderful talent.
When Autumn Comes (featuring Maureen McMullan)
RM: And then there’s the album title to go with that cover. Lyne’s Une is an interesting phrase and is also the title of one of the tracks. I initially thought it might be Scots Gaelic or a bastardisation of something meaning "Alyn’s One" or "Alyn Solo."
AC: I wish I was that clever (laughs) but that wasn’t how it came about…
RM: …no, indeed, but how the title came about is a great story. Would you mind repeating it for those that won’t be aware of that story?
AC: My dad was helping to score the tune in a music programme and the track was to be titled ‘Alyn’s Tune.’ But as he was adding the title he missed out the first letter of each word, quite unintentionally. I liked his version better and it stuck!
RM: Your dad of course is a pianist and Musical Director. Another influence?
AC: He never forced me to follow music, but music was around me from such a young age. Once he realised I was serious about the drums and it was what I wanted to do he encouraged me and it’s great that he has been involved.
RM: So there’s a chance we may hear Cosker Senior and Cosker Junior playing together at some point in the future?
AC: (laughs) You never know! Actually, we did play together when the album was being released. I was doing a set in Caprice in Ayr (a bar restaurant that features live music on occasion) and my dad was there. We encouraged him to come up and play some piano and although reluctant at first he did. That was great, and everyone enjoyed it.
RM: You mentioned music being around you from a young age. Were you hitting pots and pans as a child?
AC: I think I was, yes. My older brother played drums so that was an influence but I was always drumming, playing along to records and tapes, like I mentioned earlier.
RM: I’m more used to hearing about budding drummers hitting pots and pans whilst playing along to drum solos by the likes of John Bonham, but I’m presuming you would more likely be listening to, or playing along to, Buddy Rich?
AC: Both! As I said earlier, it was rock and jazz, big band, swing… I played along to a lot of Buddy Rich but I also played along to ‘Moby Dick’ (John Bonham’s noted drum solo). That is the ultimate rock drum solo. I tried to copy them exactly but of course you never can and as you develop your own style you learn from those drummers and bring your own technique.
RM: That’s interesting you said that because I was going to mention Steve Smith a little later, but this is the perfect time because that's exactly what he preaches. Learn from the greats while developing your own skill set.
AC: Well Steve is such a student of the art and you do learn from the greats. Steve Gadd, who I mentioned earlier, was a huge influence early on. We’re following in their footsteps.
RM: From copying others to learning through good teachers to honing those skills… suddenly the likes of Tommy Smith are taking notice and by your mid-20s you’re a sought after drummer and sitting behind the kit for both the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Wolfstone. That’s not too shabby, Alyn…
AC: Well, I just try and be the best drummer I can. I’ve had great teachers and been very lucky with my career.
RM: That’s as may be, but I think exceptional talent has a lot to do with it.
AC: Thank you very much but… I don’t want to keep repeating myself or sounding like a broken record but I had such a great grounding, with my family, and being encouraged, having great teachers. I’m… blessed, to be in this position. I want to continue to get better, be a drummer who can play many styles and be known as a great drummer.
RM: Well being comfortable in many styles is apparent in your work with the SNJO and Wolfstone, but there is also the Alyn Cosker Trio with Davie and Ross…
AC: Yes. That’s just great fun and Davie and Ross are monster musicians. Again, I’m so lucky to be able to play with not just good friends but great musicians.
RM: We mentioned Buddy Rich earlier and you also featured in a SNJO Tribute to Buddy Rich, touring the performance. That must have been both satisfying and challenging, I would imagine...
AC: That was a great experience but, honestly, I was very anti-social for a month before it (laughs). I literally locked myself away and listened to all the CD’s, learned all the arrangements and tried to get a feel for Buddy’s playing. That’s when I recognised my limitations as a drummer though. You can’t be Buddy Rich, so I brought some of my own technique to it, but I wanted to bring as much of Buddy to it as possible. Watching film of him and listening to all his work did make a difference in my own playing though.
RM: Really?
AC: yeah, I learned from it and changed my own style slightly, things like how I sit at the kit, on the drum stool…
RM: ...which goes back to what Steve Smith is teaching, learning from those greats. Another similarity with Smitty is he too has performed Buddy Rich material, in his case with many of Buddy’s original band. It’s not every drummer who can even consider doing Buddy Rich tributes…
AC: …that’s why I disappeared for a month, just practising and listening to his playing!
RM: What you have said, as regards your dedication to practice, copying another drummer to the best of your ability because a show requires it, earlier comments as regards growing up with music in the family and dedication to the art… this is all remarkably similar to Scott Higham who I mentioned earlier.
AC: I must check him out.
RM: Well that’s part of what I find intriguing. You come from such different backgrounds musically, yet you both have very similar traits when it comes to how you approach your profession. That approach separates the potential greats from the not so greats.
AC: Well, thank you. I know I’m repeating myself, again (laughs), but I’m lucky to have had great teachers and be in this position where I love what I am doing. There’s always something to learn, you never master it all so you continue to practice, learn from others, wanting to become the best you can be. That’s why Steve (Smith) is such a talent. He is the ultimate student, always learning.
RM: And another Steve Smith commonality, albeit an indirect one, is that one of the many exceptional musicians you have appeared with is guitarist Frank Gambale. I’m a huge fan of Frank’s playing and style. He played with Steve’s Vital Information band for some 16 years.
AC: Oh that was a real privilege. Frank was just such a nice guy. He was putting together a band to play in Edinburgh a few years ago. He sent through the song-sheets and then when we got together he was a pleasure to play with and to be around. A technically brilliant player.
RM: We must talk a little about Wolfstone. That sounds, and looks, like a lot of fun, playing and performing with the Wolf pack.
AC: Oh it is, and they are just such a great bunch of guys and very talented musicians. There’s Davie, Colin Cunningham is such a great bass player, Stevie (Saint) just loves the pipes, knows everything about the instrument, brilliant player. Duncan (Chisholm) is one of the best fiddle players around and Stuart (Eaglesham) is the quiet man of the group but he’s picking up on what everyone is saying, what everyone is doing. Great singer.
RM: Any music or musicians catching your ear currently?
AC: I’ve been listening to Biffy Clyro lately, from our neck of the woods. Also the singer Imogen Heap. And I’m getting into a lot of classical music right now, discovering some beautiful pieces like ‘Clair de lune.’
RM: Claude Debussy has composed some truly beautiful stuff, especially for piano. You should check out some of the Preludes.
AC: That’s the sort of thing I’m enjoying, picking up on what is new to me and listening to different artists. I’ve started listening to Kate Bush a lot, Aerial is just an incredible album, she has such a musicality. I was watching an older documentary on her not long ago and she had been arranging a piece with horns. After the run-through she would say to one player “watch your pitch,” or “the G you played was G sharp.” She was hearing this by ear. Incredible.
RM: Oh you won’t get an argument from me, I’m a huge fan of her works from right back to the piano demos of original material she was recording when she was 15.
A true creative talent. That’s actually a great tie-in Alyn, because as we close out this Muirsical Conversation I’d like to mention the Lyn’s Une song that features a lovely female vocal. ‘When Autumn Comes’ highlights singer Maureen McMullan.
AC: Yes. I wanted something different to end the album with and wanted to feature Maureen. But we were due to record it the next day in the studio and I only had a basic idea of what I wanted. I had the time signatures, but Maureen came up with the melody and the lyrics in one evening - the evening before the next day’s recording!
RM: An unexpected finish to the album, but certainly not an unpleasant one. Quite the opposite.
AC: Thank you. I was very pleased with it. Maureen is a wonderful talent.
When Autumn Comes (featuring Maureen McMullan)
RM: Finally Alyn, I have to ask - as I asked Scott and any drummer I talk to - what’s your favourite drummer joke?
AC: (laughs) You know the problem is I’ve heard plenty of them, but I usually immediately forget them!
RM: No bad thing, perhaps (laughs). Alyn, thanks for giving FabricationsHQ your time.
AC: No problem, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, and thank you!
As we ended the conversation, the drummer jokes as told during my conversation with Scott Higham were re-told, including the one that was unprintable.
And still is, sorry.
What I can tell you is Alyn Cosker is one of the greatest musical talents this country has produced in the modern era.
And that’s no joke.
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation with Alyn Cosker
November 2010
Audio excerpts presented to accompany the Muirsical Conversation article by kind permission of Alyn Cosker. No infringement of copyright is intended.
Lyn's Une available from Linn Records:
http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-Lyn-s-Une-Alyn-Cosker-drums-jazz.aspx
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra website: http://www.snjo.co.uk/
Wolfstone official website: http://www.wolfstone.co.uk/
Photo Credit: Bob Black
AC: (laughs) You know the problem is I’ve heard plenty of them, but I usually immediately forget them!
RM: No bad thing, perhaps (laughs). Alyn, thanks for giving FabricationsHQ your time.
AC: No problem, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, and thank you!
As we ended the conversation, the drummer jokes as told during my conversation with Scott Higham were re-told, including the one that was unprintable.
And still is, sorry.
What I can tell you is Alyn Cosker is one of the greatest musical talents this country has produced in the modern era.
And that’s no joke.
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation with Alyn Cosker
November 2010
Audio excerpts presented to accompany the Muirsical Conversation article by kind permission of Alyn Cosker. No infringement of copyright is intended.
Lyn's Une available from Linn Records:
http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-Lyn-s-Une-Alyn-Cosker-drums-jazz.aspx
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra website: http://www.snjo.co.uk/
Wolfstone official website: http://www.wolfstone.co.uk/
Photo Credit: Bob Black
