For many years I knew the mathematician Barry Cooper solely as an avid jazz fan. At that time, we regretted that when high-profile performers visited Leeds at all, it was for late-night performances. Barry marched to a different drum from most people – he actually did things. One night he rang to tell me that he had accessed some funding, and a meeting in a pub led to the foundation of Leeds Jazz. It lasted for more than 25 years and achieved great things. Various members came and went: some were more publicly associated with the name than Barry, but its genesis was undoubtedly the result of his determination.
