Born: October 23, 1965 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Cookie Coogan grew up in the State of Maine where she received her first music instruction in church and in school. She first heard and participated in jazz at school, playing piano with the school “stage band.” She studied jazz piano at Maine Jazz Camp with Gerry Wright who also introduced her to jazz singing.
Upon graduating from high school, Cookie attended Ithaca College where, in addition to her music education program, she studied jazz theory, improvisation, history, arranging and composition with guitarist, Steve Brown. She sang with the Ithaca College Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of well-known vocal jazz educator, Dave Riley, and with the Ithaca College Jazz Workshop bands directed by Brown. Cookie holds both bachelors and masters degrees in music education from Ithaca College.
In addition to formal musical studies, Cookie has many years of jazz and other musical performance experience in clubs, for schools, for churches, and for social functions. She has performed with a variety of Central New York musicians including her mentor Brown, the late bassist Jim Gannon, Auburn bandleader Bob Piorun, Rochester pianist/bandleader Gap Mangione, and drummer Danny D'Imperio.
Cookie is currently active as a jazz vocalist and music educator throughout the upstate New York region. She performs solo, leads her own bands, and appears as the featured vocalist for many other area bandleaders. She currently directs the Ithaca College Vocal Jazz Ensemble, serves as a jazz education consultant, and teaches music to people of all ages in a variety of contexts and venues. She makes her home in Ithaca with her husband James Keegan and their two boys
