Playgrounds Magazine  
February 2002 

by Alice Barkwell

I have always wanted to see Spyro Gyra and finally got the opportunity when my friend Cooper Tisdale's band was opening for them at the Variety Playhouse. The Cooper Tisdale Band is composed of Cooper on guitar and the wonderful Kenny Walker on bass and sometimes vocals, the versatile David Savage on keys with powerful drum support from Eric Johnson. Cooper's music is eclectic with each song creating a unique mood. Many songs were instrumental, and a few with vocals. Cooper's music is always interesting and complex, straddling the boundaries of jazz, rock and blues, but always with a great deal of intelligence. My favorite song is Doo Dad because of the amazing guitar jam in the middle of it. Cooper's guitar style is elegant and always impressive. The Variety Playhouse was filled with hard core jazz fans waiting for Spyro Gyra, and they really loved Cooper's band and were really getting into the music, with a lot of comments of surprise and amazement at such a good band being from Atlanta and wondering where they usually play. This opening slot definitely earned Cooper's band a lot of new fans!