Meet Hot Sauce.

 Steve Cooper - Sax

Stephen Cooper began the study of the saxophone in 1987 at the age of 12. After two years of formal study, he began studying jazz after attending the University of Wisconsin Green Bay summer jazz camp. While still in high school, he delved into the works of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Michael Brecker. During his senior year of high school (1994), Stephen performed with the Fond du Lac Goodrich High School marching band for a Green bay Packers half time show, was a featured soloist with the school's concert band during its successful Mexico tour, and also held the position of lead alto in the 1994 Wisconsin State Honors Jazz Band, one of only two seats for the entire state. Upon high school graduation and prior to entering college, Stephen held the lead alto chair for the UWGB Jazz 1 ensemble for its tour of Europe, which included performances at the world famous Monteaux Jazz Fest in Montreaux, Switzerland and the North Sea Jazz Fest in Den Haag, Netherlands. The fall of 1994 began Stephen's attendance to the University of Wisconsin Green Bay towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Studies. While there, he had the opportunity to perform along with many jazz greats, including Joshua Redman, David Leibman, Nelson Rangell, and Bryan Lynch. It was during this time that Stephen's professional career really began to pick up as well. He began performing with The Groove Hogs at the age of 17, a blues based horn band that he still performs with today. With them, he has performed at countless blues festivals in the U.S. and Canada, including the London, Ontario Bluesfest and the Windsor, Ontario Bluesfest, where they opened for guitar legend Buddy Guy on consecutive nights, for crowds of 8,500 and 13,700 people respectively. It was during this time that Stephen began to sing lead vocals professionally. Taking what he had learned from his training on the saxophone, he began singing songs by R&B greats such as Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder. Progressing with time, Stephen has recently begun singing songs in the vocalese style of King Pleasure. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to also open for Kool and The Gang, Three Dog Night, The Beach Boys, Hootie and The Blowfish, Canned Heat, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Bob Newhart, Walter Trout, Little Milton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mountain, Common, Steppenwolf, Rod Piazza, Debra Coleman, Eddie King, Tabenoi, Janiva Magness, Survivor, America, Fountains of Wayne, Douglas Spotted Eagle, Blair and Herman's Hermits. He has had the chance to play or sit in with: Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Brian Lee, Larry McCray, John Lee Hooker Jr., Unity, Hot Sauce, Big Poppa Boogie, Big Mouth, Soul System, Aja, Rockin' Jimmy and the Blues Weasels, East Side Earl and The West Side Horns, Clambake, The Presidents, Unified Soul, The Sweet Baby Rays and the Groove Merchants among others. 2008 has already seen much success for Stephen, as he has taken on a larger role of booking The Jazz Orgy, along with being nominated for a WAMI award for the Reeds/Brass category. He continues to press forward, writing and performing throughout the United States.

Click here to view Steve's MySpace profile!