Review from Robert Reid of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Feb. 2, 2002:
"Jack Cooper has long been one of the mainstays of the Kitchener-Waterloo folk scene.
A gifted songwriter with a graceful voice and fluid guitar style, Cooper posseses a social conscience that recalls the legendary Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul and Mary, as well as contemporary singer/songwriters such as Eric Bogle, Larry Long and John McCutcheon.
It's obvious from even a cursory listen of Land of Plenty, Cooper's collection of 12 new songs, that he cares deeply about what he writes and sings.
Produced by Ken Brown at his Guelph studio, the CD features a fine group of guest musicians including Brown on guitar, bass, synthesizer and backup vocals, in addition to dobro guitarist Rick Fines, violinists Anne Lederman and Karl Rainer and percussionists Matthew Shawn Fleming and Bill Usher.
Land of Plenty proves that songs with a conscience can still be pleasing on the ear. .. "
Review from Nathan Coyle of Rambles Cultural Arts magazine:
Land of Plenty has the initial sound of your run-of-the-mill folk music, but don't let the beginning song, "Harvest Time," lead you in that direction. There's a love of nature and fellow man prevalent in all these songs, but those feelings are tempered with reality's edge.
Jack Cooper's music is perfect for the second-generation John Denver fan. He's got a similar vocal range and higher nasal pitch. The difference, as a 21st-century folk musician, is that Cooper's music is not all sunshine on his shoulders making him happy. His lyrics are rather intricate, with an acerbic wit and an understated sarcasm. Check out the title track or "Gypsy Lady" for examples.
As with any good musician, Cooper also has a gentle side. "Jeremy" is a sweet and lovely song about providing joy to an autistic boy through music. "These Bones Are Gonna Rise Again" is a haunting yet soft rendition of the traditional song.
"Black-Eyed Susie" is probably the best song on the album. Cooper flexes his folk range and weaves a mild thread of blues into this tune. Rick Fines does a fine job on the slide dobro, providing the proper backdrop for the guitars.
This album is obviously a labor of love and it shows in every song. Cooper's vocal performance is consistent and his guitar is well-played. The success of his album is largely due to his back-up performers, especially the wonderful percussion work of Matthew Shawn Fleming. With Land of Plenty, Cooper and his entourage infuse their own wit to create an inviting contribution into the folk music tradition.
[ by C. Nathan Coyle ]
Rambles: 20 July 2002
Review from Penguin Eggs Magazine, Winter 2002
... the man writes songs that have graceful melodies and interesting lyrics. The album title shows up in the short opening track, a simple song called Harvest Time that could have been written by an early settler, but the fifth track is actually called Land of Plenty, a song about scraping by and the allure of striking it rich by playing the slots. Taken as a pair, the songs sort of depict a yin/yang of the work ethic. Land of Plenty includes a "sha-la-la" chorus that subtly evokes the golden days of doo-wop.
... the end result (is) both charming and unpretentious.
Review from Performing Songwriter Magazine, Nov/Dec 2003
There was a day when being earnest wasn't something to be ashamed of, to be masked and blurred under layers of flippant irony and flat-out lies-- when Pete Seeger, Dylan, Baez and Dave Van Ronk could sing their souls without fear of embarassment. Ontario folk songwriter Jack Cooper achieves just that in his sweet, plain spoken tunes.
Even on bluesy numbers like "Dancing Shoes", Cooper's joyful lyrics and mellow voice shine through. This record is subdued but fun, with its acoustic instrumentation played quietly and with style. On "Put It Right", Anne Lederman's fiddle skips along under Cooper's melody, and Rick Fines' dobro takes centre stage on the standout "Black-Eyed Susie."
Cooper's songs are refreshingly positive and almost childlike in their approach. This is an intelligent, feel-good record.
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