Playing several instruments, notably different members of the clarinet family, Cooper made a valuable contribution to various traditional jazz bands in the UK. In particular, he was a member of the Yorkshire Jazz Band and also played with the Temperance 7. Although settings such as these might have proved to be confining for a lesser musician, Cooper was able to display a large measure of originality in his playing. As distinguished an observer of the British jazz scene as Digby Fairweather, with whom Cooper recorded, likened him, with considerable justification, to Sandy Brown which was praise indeed. Not surprisingly, therefore, Cooper was chosen by Fairweather to play on a tribute to Brown.