BassCrazy.net (Alan "Ace" Cooper)

Alan Ace Cooper is a native Washingtonian and currently resides in the suburbs of Northern Virginia. He began playing electric bass at age 11 after being inspired by Earth, Wind & Fire's bass player, Verdine White. As a self-taught bass player, Ace was selected as bassist for his Jr. High School Jazz/Top 40 band. This led to his acceptance into the District of Columbia's, Duke Ellington High School for the Performing Arts where he studied acoustic bass, and trombone. In 1982, Ace made his first major musical step by joining the Wesley Boyd Gospel Music Workshop Choir (WBGMW). While performing with WBGMW, he had the opportunity to share the performance stage with artists such as Richard Smallwood, Edwin Hawkins, William Hubbard, Raymond Reeder and many others.

Ace's major inspirations have come from artists in the Contemporary Christian Music genre such as Margaret Becker, Amy Grant, Tim Miner, White Heart, BeBe and CeCe Winans and Bryan Duncan. These artists and those such as Sting, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, whom Ace considers cross culture pioneers of world beat blended sounds, spawned the need to write and record songs embodying ethnic kinetic rhythms layered with pop oriented instrumentation with lyrics combining Christianic religion, urban life and love. This style of writing earned Ace two Honorable Mentions in the Music City Song Festival of Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1993, upon recognizing Ace's abilities as an all-around performer, he was asked to be the lyricist, bassist and lead vocalist for the D.C. based positive, alternative funk rock trio Under One Sky. That same year, Ace was also selected to be the bassist for the John P. Kee Victory In Praise D.C. Chapter Choir and was part of the Kee release titled, "Lily In the Valley". The VIP venture gave Ace the opportunity to work with artists Michael McCoy and current Verity Records recording artist, Morrette Brown Clark. In 1998, Ace was selected as bassist for a showcase band, backing singing legend Melba Moore, at the Gospel Music Workshop of America Convention in Philadelphia, PA.

Ace is currently bassist for the Contemporary, Jazz, Gospel band Sacred Groove. The group released its first CD project titled, "When 3 Become One" August of 2000. In addition to recording, writing, producing and performing with Sacred Groove, Ace is also the Musical Director for the Chevy Chase Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. A post he has recently been granted after spending eleven years as a member, bassist and vocalist of the Shiloh Baptist of Alexandria, Virginia. Ace, has toured and recorded with nationally acclaimed Gospel artist Carlton Burgess and his group Complete Praise. He is the the bassist for the CCM/Praise & Worship inspired Praise Project.

"I am currently the bassist and co-founding member of Sacred Groove, which is an Instrumental Gospel Jazz quartet, which features my good friend, Tony Waters on Keyboards and Piano.

Ace is an EMG Active Pickups, Devon Guitars, Ritter Gig Bags, DR Strings, AccuGroove Cabinets and LakLand Skyline series basses endorsee

To inspire people of all ages and cultures
through music and lyrics.

People should hear and feel the tonal
colours and rythyms of the music.

They should find hope in love and religion
in the lyrics and be made aware

of and understand the social and cultural
differences that affect us all.