We lost Jonathan Cooper, amazing musician and violin maker from Portland, Maine in September. There have been a ton of wonderful words said about and great stories told about Jon on Facebook that I am sure many of you have seen. Mostly known for the last few decades as a luthier, he crafted fiddles for many of the top players in traditional music: Mark O’Connor, Darol Anger, Matt Glaser, Alison Krauss, Bruce Molsky, Michael Doucet. The list goes on! Here’s a nice little bio from Strings Magazine: Jonathan Cooper Found the Fiddle, Then a Life Making Them | Strings Magazine .

New York Times Obit:
Jon Cooper made the Times! Of course there’s a paywall, but if you’re not a subscriber, it might be worth paying the introductory offer, like 4 bucks, then canceling the subscription. This is a really nice read! Jonathan Cooper, Who Made Violins the Old-Fashioned Way, Dies at 76 – The New York Times/

Figuring I couldn’t really compete with the Times, I wanted to bring the whole Jon Cooper story a little closer to home. Jon certainly mentored (or mentored the mentors of) some of Maine’s fiddle makers! But I also knew he had played in a lot of Maine trad/folk bands back in the ’70s and ’80s (Wild Mountain Thyme was one of them, see below). I remember him as a fiddler but a few years back I remember walking into a concert “upstairs in the Bistro” at the Downeast Country Dance Festival and he was playing lap steel guitar in a western swing band (see below again). HE WAS REALLY GOOD!! I suppose there are other renowned violin makers that play lap steel guitar, but I was kind of blown away!

His shop in Portland was “Acoustic Artisans.” Back in the day there were regular concerts there and it even became a hangout for touring musicians when they were playing at other venues in Portland.

Here’s the video link:

JON COOPER, RON CODY, BRITTANY HAAS, LINCOLN MEYERS, OTHERS AT ACOUSTIC ARTISANS IN PORTLAND.

Ron Cody’s “The Cooper Sessions” is a recording of tunes played by fiddlers playing Jon Cooper violins. Jon plays on the “Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine” cut. Same tune they’re playing on the video above.  The Cooper Sessions – YouTube

Some words from (Fiddle Camper) Paul Cormier “Jon always would say his first instrument was dobro”:

Jon Cooper

I met Jon around 1975, at Buck Dancer’s Choice, which was located at the time down in the Old Port district of Portland. He talked me into purchasing one of his violins that he had restored. I had a fiddle, which I had tuned improperly, and I remember him saying , “If you can play with a fiddle tuned like that, you have to come to my place and take lessons.” So, I did. I went to his place on Gray Street. I had to completely relearn everything. But he was so inspirational. He would not let me quit. I took lessons for about a year. I played at a wedding with Jon’s band Wild Mt. Thyme. They needed a harmonica. We were great friends. His folks needed a new deck at their place in Martha’s Vineyard, so we bought everything at FOX Lumber, put it in a U-Haul, and drove it down, and built it together. What a week! Any time I had a question about anything, Jon was there, even up until recently. He played at Michele and my wedding in 1979. My dad thought he was rogue because he didn’t know him. I had to convince my dad that a rogue would not have brought an instrument, and that everything was good. It was pretty funny actually. I remember one evening we were having dinner at his house on Gray St. This guy “Dave” was there. Pretty nice guy, I guess. Friend of Jon’s. He was playing at Raul’s that evening. So, Michele and I, of course, went down. Turned out it was Dave Bromberg. For my entire life, I have always wondered how such a down-to-earth guy could know all these talented people! And they just kept coming. Dave Mallet, Mark O’Conner, Darol Anger, and on and on.” How the hell does he know all these people, and, why does he have anything to do with me?” I always wondered. Well, he was that way with everyone. He gave me a book on violin making. I had no intention or interest in violin making. He said, “Keep this. You will use it someday.” And I did. Since then, he has given me tools, wood, advice, and endless support. He never asked me for any money, except for those lessons back in the ’70s. I can’t believe that I was part of his circle.

Cajun Fiddler Michael Doucet (of BeauSoleil) has these words to say:

Hello Bill,
Yes, it was indeed a sad day when I heard the news about my old buddy, Jon Cooper. We surely shared some crazy good times together simply hanging out.
In 1987, Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil, was playing an acoustic gig in Portland, ME at a funky folk club where Doc Watson had just performed.
Previously, I had two friends who were fiddle makers send me their fiddles which were good, but hmmm, not exactly what i was looking for.
So, Jon comes up to me and introduces himself and asked to see my fiddle. Then he says “what are you doing playing this violin in this crummy place?’ I reply “I like the sound.” So he says “let me build you a copy with no strings attached (pun) and if you don’t like it no problem”.
So early in 1988, somewhere in the NE, Jon showed up where we were playing and presented me with his violin.
What can I say? Once I played his instrument it just rang out and the only music it will know will be what I put into it. I’ve performed and recorded with it ever since that day.
The kind of guy Jon was, he asked my son, Matthew, if he wanted to study violin making with him and he did….so it goes into the family!
Michael Doucet

Here’s a recording of Jon playing Lap Steel with Maine’s own Lay-Z-Gait band. This is “Heartaches by the Number” and was written by Harlan Howard, and published in 1959. It was recorded by Guy Mitchell, Ray Price, George Jones, Kitty Wells, Willie Nelson – maybe a hundred more notables!! Click here for the recording → https://tomwhiteheadmusic.com/wp-content/themes/twmtheme/mp3/heartaches.mp3 More recordings on the Lay-Z-Gait website, check it out!!
Here’s a video:

Finally, here are some words from Maine fiddler Don Roy:
(In 2018 Don and Cindy Roy received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.)
I first met Jonathan Cooper back in the late ’70s at one of the many fiddling contests orchestrated by the late Don Doane, Sr. here in Maine. Jon was a really good fiddler and multi-instrumentalist. After returning from Cremona Italy studying violin making Jon moved to Gorham… five minutes from my house! He soon called me to try a beautiful violin made in Lewiston Maine in 1910 by Nathan Taylor. He gave me first shot at buying it because he thought a Maine player should own it. I bought it. On my way home I would occasionally stop by Jon’s workshop and visit. He would often call and ask me to play on his latest creation so he could make adjustments. Already being a woodworker I became curious about the art of violin making. Jon was quick to offer assistance and help me make my own violin. Unknowingly by his willingness to share his talents Jon had a major influence in my life and gave me a lifelong gift. This was before the internet had all the information it does now and what I soon realized was that making a fiddle isn’t that problematic. What is problematic is getting the right information and Jon weeded through the crap pretty quick. I continue to make instruments according to Jon’s teaching and wish he were still around to see them. I’m sure my story is the same as many others’ as he shared his talents with people from both Maine and abroad.. He used to say, with a grin, “I’ll teach you anything I know. Let’s see you do it better than I can.” The violin making and playing community were very lucky to have such a highly respected expert within our reach. He will be missed.