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Lindsay Cooper (born 3 March 1951 - died 18 September 2013) was an English bassoon and oboe player, composer and political activist. Best known for her work with the band Henry Cow, she was also a member of Comus, National Health, News from Babel and David Thomas and the Pedestrians. She collaborated with a number of musicians, including Steve Hillage, Egg, Hatfield and the North, Robert Wyatt, Chris Cutler and Sally Potter, and co-founded the Feminist Improvising Group. She wrote scores for film and TV and a song cycle Oh Moscow, which was performed live around the world in 1987. She also recorded a number of solo albums, including Rags (1980), The Gold Diggers (1983) and Music For Other Occasions (1986).
Cooper was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1991, but did not disclose it to the musical community until 1998, when her illness prevented her from performing live.

ALBUMS


Lindsay Cooper, Fred Frith, Gianni Gebbia, Lars Hollmer
Angels On The Edge Of Time
2015, ,
Art Rock/Free Improvisation
Lindsay Cooper
Rarities (Volumes 1 & 2)
2014, ,
Art Rock/Contemporary Jazz/Free Improvisation
Lindsay Cooper
A View From The Bridge (Composed Works)
1998, 2xCD, Album, Impetus Records,
Lindsay Cooper & Charles Gray
Pia Mater
1997, CD, Album, Resurgence, ,
Modern/Experimental
Lindsay Cooper
Sahara Dust
1993, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Art Rock/Avant-garde Jazz
Lindsay Cooper
Schrödinger's Cat
1991, CD, Album, FEMME Music, FEMME Music, ,
Avantgarde/Experimental/Art Rock
Lindsay Cooper
An Angel On The Bridge
1991, ,
Neo-Classical/Contemporary Jazz
Lindsay Cooper
Rags / The Golddiggers
1991, ,
Modern/Avantgarde/Prog Rock
Lindsay Cooper
Oh Moscow
1991, ,
Alternative Rock/Art Rock/Free Improvisation
Lindsay Cooper
Outtakes For Other Occasions
1986, Cass, Ltd, No Man's Land, ,
Avantgarde/Contemporary
Lindsay Cooper
Music For Other Occasions
1986, ,
Avantgarde/Art Rock/Soundtrack
Lindsay Cooper
The Small Screen, Music For Television
1984, Cass, Album, Sync Pulse Records, ,
Soundtrack/Avantgarde/Contemporary
Lindsay Cooper
Music From The Gold Diggers
1983, LP, Album, Sync Pulse Records, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde/Soundtrack
Lindsay Cooper
Pictures From The Great Exhibition
1983, 7", S/Sided, Rē Records, ,
Soundtrack/Avantgarde/Contemporary
Maggie Nicols, Lindsay Cooper, Joëlle Léandre
Live At The Bastille
1982, LP, Album, Sync Pulse Records, ,
Alternative Rock/Free Improvisation
Lindsay Cooper
Rags
1980, ,
Art Rock/Experimental/Avantgarde
Henry Cow
Glastonbury And Elsewhere
2022, ,
Avantgarde/Art Rock
Henry Cow
Ex Box Collected Fragments 1971 - 1978
2019, CDr, Ltd, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Experimental/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Cow Box Redux (50th Anniversary Box)
2019, CD, Album + CD, Album + CD, Album + CD, Album + CD, ReR Megacorp, ReR Megacorp, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Experimental/Prog Rock/Free Jazz
Henry Cow
Later And Post Virgin
2017, CD, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
1974-5
2017, CD, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Bremen
2017, CD, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Late
2017, CD, Album, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Hamburg
2017, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Comus
Out Of The Coma
2012, ,
Folk Rock/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
A Cow Cabinet Of Curiosities
2009, CD, Ltd, Num, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
40th Anniversary Box - The Road: Volumes 1-5
2008, 5xCD + Box, Ltd, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
40th Anniversary Box - The Studio: Volumes 1-5
2008, Box, Comp + CD, Album, RE + CD, Album, RE, RM + CD, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Stockholm & Göteborg
2008, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
News From Babel
Sirens & Silences / Work Resumed On The Tower / Letters Home
1995, ,
Avantgarde
Trio Trabant A Roma
State Of Volgograd
1994
Creative Works Orchestra
Willisau Live And More
1993, CD, Comp, Creative Works Records, ,
Avant-garde Jazz/Free Improvisation/Contemporary Jazz/Big Band
Henry Cow
The Virgin Years
1991, 3xCD, Album, RE + Box, Comp, Ltd, Num, East Side Digital, East Side Digital, East Side Digital, ,
Free Jazz/Art Rock/Avantgarde
Henry Cow
Legend
1991, ,
Jazz-Rock/Avantgarde
Various
A Classic Guide To No Man's Land
1988, CD, Comp, No Man's Land, ,
Avantgarde/Experimental
Musica Mu(n)ta Orchestra
Annìnnìa
1986, ,
Free Jazz/Contemporary Jazz/Free Improvisation
News From Babel
Letters Home
1986, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde
News From Babel
Sirens & Silences / Work Resumed On The Tower
1984, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde
News From Babel
Contraries
1984, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde
Maarten Altena Octet
Tel
1983, LP, Claxon, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Free Improvisation
David Thomas And His Legs
Winter Comes Home
1983, ,
Art Rock
Mike Westbrook Orchestra
The Cortège
1982, 3x Vinyl, ,
Modern/Contemporary Jazz/Experimental/Avantgarde
Feminist Improvising Group
Feminist Improvising Group
1979, Cass, Album, C60, Not On Label (Feminist Improvising Group Self-released), ,
Experimental/Free Improvisation
Henry Cow
Western Culture
1979, ,
Avantgarde
Henry Cow
Concerts
1976, ,
Prog Rock/Experimental/Art Rock/Free Improvisation
Comus
To Keep From Crying
1974, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Henry Cow
Unrest
1974, ,
Free Jazz/Art Rock/Avantgarde
Comus
Song To Comus (The Complete Collection)
,
Folk Rock/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Radio Broadcast 1976
2014, CDr, Unofficial, Highland Project, ,
Art Rock/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
Culture de l'Ouest
2002, 2xCDr, Unofficial, Peace Frog (2), ,
Art Rock
Lindsay Cooper
Rags / The Golddiggers
2001, ,
Modern/Avantgarde/Prog Rock
Henry Cow
In Praise Of Learning (Original Mix)
2000, ,
Art Rock/Prog Rock/Free Improvisation
Henry Cow
Legend
1999, ,
Jazz-Rock/Avantgarde
Henry Cow
Unrest
1999, ,
Jazz-Rock/Avantgarde
Henry Cow
Western Culture
1999, ,
Avantgarde
Henry Cow
Ruins
1995, 2xCD, Unofficial, Canterbury Dream,
Henry Cow
Live In Uppsala, Sweden - May 16, 1977
2xCDr, Album, Unofficial, Crimson Records (2),
Art Rock/Avantgarde/Experimental
Henry Cow
Parco Sempione, Torino, 1978
Cass, Unofficial, Anökumena, ,
Psychedelic Rock
Henry Cow
Unknown Session
CDr, Unofficial, Hickory (2)
Lindsay Cooper
Music For Other Occasions
,
Avantgarde/Contemporary
Lindsay Cooper
Oh Moscow
,
Alternative Rock/Art Rock/Free Improvisation

APPEARANCES +


Chris Cutler
Compositions And Collaborations / 1972-2022
2023, Box, Comp, Ltd, Sub + CD, Album, RE + CD, Album, R, ReR Megacorp, ,
Experimental/Art Rock/Free Improvisation/Field Recording/Radioplay
Various
And Did Those Feet... (Six British Jazz Composers)
2023, 2xCD, Jazz In Britain, ,
Post Bop/Free Jazz
Trio Trabant A Roma
Who Shot The Rabbit?
2021, 4xFile, WAV, Not On Label (Alfred Harth Self-released), ,
Free Improvisation
Swans
Children Of God • Feel Good Now
2020, ,
Industrial/Experimental/Avantgarde/Post Rock
Phil Minton And Veryan Weston
Ways For An Orchestra
2019, CD, Album, I Dischi Di Angelica, ,
Avant-garde Jazz/Contemporary
Michel Edelin Quintet Special Guest John Greaves
Echoes Of Henry Cow
2019, CD, Album, Rogueart, ,
Avant-garde Jazz/Contemporary Jazz
Company
1981
2019, 2xLP, Album, Gat, Honest Jon's Records, ,
Free Improvisation
Various
Further Perspectives & Distortion - An Encyclopedia Of British Experimental And Avant-Garde Music 1976 - 1984
2019, 3xCD, Comp + Box, Cherry Red, ,
Avantgarde/Experimental/Free Improvisation/Sound Poetry/Post-Punk
Petridisch
Hit Rendition
2019, ,
Abstract/Ambient/Darkwave/Experimental/Minimal/Synthwave
Sternpost
Anno Mirabilis
2018, File, FLAC, Single, Bläck Charm Nostalgi Vassa Tänder, ,
Avantgarde/Art Rock
Henry Cow
DVD - Vevey 1976
2017, DVD-V, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
Ferdinando Faraò & Artchipel Orchestra Featuring Chris Cutler
To Lindsay: Omaggio A Lindsay Cooper
2017, CD, Album, Music Center, ,
Prog Rock/Avant-garde Jazz/Big Band
Mike Westbrook Orchestra
After Smith's Hotel
2015, 8xFile, FLAC, Album, Not On Label (Mike Westbrook Self-released), ,
Contemporary Jazz
Max Eastley + Logos Ensemble (2) / Feminist Improvising Group / Coum* + Logos Ensemble (2) / Derek Bailey
Another Evening At Logos 1974 79 81 / Record One
2015, 2xLP, Ltd, Logos (2), Sub Rosa, ,
Free Improvisation/Free Jazz/Experimental
Various
Compendium Records - Norway's First Progressive Record Store And Label 1974-1977
2010, ,
Nordic/Prog Rock/Post Bop
Henry Cow
40th Anniversary Box - The Road: Volumes 1-10
2009, 10xCD, Comp, Ltd, Box + DVD-V, Ltd, PAL, ReR Megacorp, ,
Alternative Rock/Art Rock/Avantgarde/Avant-garde Jazz/Experimental/Free Improvisation/Jazz-Rock/Prog Rock
Alfred Harth
Soft Compilation 1965-1998
2009, CDr, Laubhuette Productions, ,
Free Jazz/Avantgarde
Mike Westbrook
Fields And Forms
2008, CD, Comp, Musica Jazz, ,
Big Band
Henry Cow
40th Anniversary Box - The Road: Volumes 6-10 With DVD
2008, 4xCD + DVD-V + Box, Ltd, ReR Megacorp, ,
Avantgarde/Free Improvisation/Prog Rock
David Thomas & The Accordion Club
David Thomas & The Accordion Club
2008, 10xFile, MP3, Hearpen.com, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde/Classic Rock
Henry Cow With Mike Westbrook Brass Band And Frankie Armstrong
Henry Cow With Mike Westbrook Brass Band And Frankie Armstrong
2006, ,
Prog Rock/Big Band
John Wolf Brennan
I.N.I.T.I.A.L.S.
2005, 2xCD, Album, Creative Works Records, ,
Contemporary Jazz
Kate Westbrook Featuring John Winfield
Cuff Clout (A Neoteric Music Hall)
2004, CD, Voiceprint, ,
Musical
Thomas Bloch
Ondes Martenot
2004, CD, Album, Naxos
Linda Thompson
Give Me A Sad Song
2001, CD, Comp, Fledg'ling Records, ,
Folk Rock
Rova*
Bingo
1998, CD, Album, Les Disques VICTO, ,
Free Jazz/Contemporary Jazz
David Thomas
Monster
1997, ,
New Wave/Art Rock/Experimental
Swans
Children Of God / World Of Skin
1997, ,
Industrial/Avantgarde/Experimental/Ambient
L.Amat* Et Les Musiciens
L'Amateur De La Vie
1996, CD, Album, Wolf Records (4), ,
Experimental
Various
Supernatural Fairy Tales (The Progressive Rock Era)
1996, 5x CD, Box Set, ,
Art Rock/Classic Rock/Prog Rock/Symphonic Rock/Experimental/Ambient/Krautrock
Links
New Reasons To Use Old Words
1995, CD, Album, Schlozzton, Schlozzton, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Jazz-Rock/Alternative Rock/Art Rock
Viklický* vs. Švamberk*
Last Connection From Nirasaki
1995, CD, ,
Vocal
Various
AngelicA 93
1994, CD, Album, Caicai Music, ,
Free Jazz/Contemporary Jazz/Free Improvisation
Various
Sarajevo (Suite)
1994, CD, Album, L'Empreinte Digitale, Deux Z, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Experimental/Spoken Word
Robert Wyatt
Flotsam Jetsam
1994, CD Digipak, ,
Prog Rock/Free Jazz/Avantgarde/Art Rock/Free Improvisation/Jazz-Rock
Tim Hodgkinson
Each In Our Own Thoughts
1994, ,
Avantgarde/Contemporary
Various
Angelica 1992
1993, CD, Album, Caicai Music, ,
Avantgarde/Experimental
Rainbirds
In A Different Light
1993, CD, ,
Ballad
David Motion & Sally Potter
Orlando
1993, ,
Soundtrack/Neo-Classical/Contemporary
Various
Passed Normal Volume 5
1992, CD, FOT Records, ,
Avantgarde
Canaille*
Canaille 91
1992, CD, Album, Not On Label (Arbeitsgruppe Canaille Self-released), ,
Free Improvisation
Lontano (2), Odaline De La Martinez
British Women Composers Volume 1
1992, ,
Contemporary
The More Extended Versions
Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening (The Music Of Robert Wyatt)
1992, ,
Alternative Rock/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Jazz
Fred Frith
Gravity
1991, ,
Avantgarde
Various
Dix Improvisations - Victoriaville 1989
1990, CD, Les Disques Victo, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Free Improvisation
Nic Potter
The Blue Zone
1990, ,
Ethereal/New Age
Rainbirds
Love Is A Better Word (White City Of Light)
1989, 7", Single, Mercury, Mercury, ,
Pop Rock
Rainbirds
Love Is A Better Word (White City Of Lights)
1989, ,
Pop Rock
Dagmar Krause
Tank Battles (The Songs Of Hanns Eisler)
1988, CD, ,
Chanson/Vocal/Ballad
Canaille*
Canaille
1988, ,
Free Improvisation
Harry Williamson & Anthony Phillips
Tarka
1988, ,
Acoustic/Contemporary
Westbrook*
Westbrook-Rossini
1988, CD, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Brass Band
Alfred 23 Harth*
Plan Eden
1987, LP, Album, Creative Works Records, ,
Free Jazz/Contemporary Jazz/Free Improvisation
Westbrook* - Rossini*
Westbrook-Rossini
1987, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Brass Band
Swans
Children Of God
1987
Various
Tellus #15 - The Improvisors
1986, Cass, Album, Tellus, ,
Free Jazz/Experimental
Irène Schweizer*
Live At Taktlos
1986, ,
Free Jazz
Various
Musique Action Internationale 85
1985, LP, Album, Vand'Oeuvre, ,
Avant-garde Jazz/Free Improvisation/Art Rock
Various
Bad Alchemy Nr 3
1985, Cass, Bad Alchemy, ,
Alternative Rock/Avantgarde/Free Improvisation
Various
16 Dance Party Smash Hits!
1985, 16x7", Ltd + Box, Comp, Recommended Records, ,
Avantgarde
Various
Bad Alchemy Nr 2
1985, Cass, Comp, C45, Bad Alchemy, ,
Alternative Rock/Free Improvisation/Jazz-Rock/Avantgarde/Experimental
Maarten Altena Octet & Nonet*
Quick Step
1985, LP, Album, Claxon, ,
Free Improvisation/Contemporary Jazz
David Thomas & The Pedestrians*
More Places Forever
1985, Vinyl, ,
Art Rock/Experimental
Various
A Rough Trade Compilation
1985, Vinyl, ,
Alternative Rock/EBM/Avantgarde/Indie Rock/Reggae
Various
Rē Records Quarterly Vol. 1 No. 1
1985, Vinyl, ,
Avantgarde/Spoken Word
Various
The Last Nightingale
1984, 12", Ltd, Rē Records, Rē Records, ,
Political/Avantgarde/Prog Rock/Spoken Word
David Thomas And The Pedestrians With Richard Thompson
Variations On A Theme
1983, ,
Art Rock/Experimental/Post-Punk
Catherine Jauniaux - Tim Hodgkinson
Fluvial
1983, ,
Art Rock/Vocal/Free Improvisation/Folk
David Thomas (2) / Ben Watt
West Side Story / On Box Hill
1982, Flexi, 7", Vinyl (11), ,
Pop Rock/Avantgarde/Spoken Word
Various
Recommended Records Sampler
1982, 2x Vinyl, ,
Abstract/Art Rock/Experimental/Avantgarde
Hatfield And The North
Afters
1980, ,
Jazz-Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Prog Rock
Various
Miniatures (A Sequence Of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces Edited By Morgan-Fisher)
1980, Vinyl Red label, ,
Abstract/Poetry/Experimental/Comedy/Minimal/Parody
Various
Bara Brudar
1978, LP, Album, Silence (3),
Art Bears
Hopes And Fears
1978, ,
Art Rock/Avantgarde/Prog Rock
Mike Oldfield
Boxed
1976, ,
Prog Rock
Slapp Happy / Henry Cow
Desperate Straights
1975
Hatfield And The North
The Rotters' Club
1975, ,
Art Rock/Jazz-Rock/Prog Rock
Henry Cow, Slapp Happy
In Praise Of Learning
1975, ,
Avantgarde/Art Rock
Steve Hillage
Fish Rising
1975, ,
Prog Rock/Space Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Mike Oldfield
Hergest Ridge
1974, ,
Prog Rock/Art Rock
Egg
The Civil Surface
1974, ,
Psychedelic Rock/Prog Rock
Jaki Whitren
Raw But Tender
1973,
Art Bears
The Art Box
,
Art Rock/Avantgarde/Experimental
Canaille*
Canaille
2022, ,
Free Improvisation
Various
Unknown Public 10: Naked
1998, CD, Album, Comp + Cass, Album, Comp, Unknown Public, ,
Contemporary/Experimental/Contemporary Jazz
Various
That‘s Line 5
1991, CD, Comp, Smplr, Line (7),
Slapp Happy / Henry Cow
Desperate Straights
2006, ,
Avantgarde/Prog Rock
Egg
The Civil Surface
2003, ,
Psychedelic Rock/Prog Rock
Art Bears
Hopes And Fears
2001, ,
Avantgarde/Prog Rock/Art Rock
Hatfield And The North
The Rotters' Club
1999, ,
Prog Rock
Nic Potter
The Blue Zone
1999
Steve Hillage
Fish Rising
1999, ,
Psychedelic Rock/Prog Rock
Mike Oldfield
Hergest Ridge
1997, ,
Prog Rock
Henry Cow Featuring Robert Wyatt
In The Name Of A Freedom
3xCD, Unofficial, Le Matango, ,
Avantgarde
Slapp Happy
BBC Live 1974 & Reunion Concert In London 1983
CD, Album, Unofficial, Not On Label, ,
Art Rock