By Thomas Atkins

Alan Copeland, a very accomplished musician, will be signing his newly released book, “Jukebox Saturday Nights,” at All that Matters in Twain Harte. Photo courtest of Alan Copeland.

Well-known arranger, singer, composer, pianist and most recently, author, Alan Copeland, will be at All That Matters in Twain Harte, on Dec. 1, from noon to 3 p.m. to sign copies of his newly released autobiography, “Jukebox Saturday Nights.”

Copeland, who is in his early 80s, has been involved in the music industry for most of his life and this book encompasses all of his incredible experiences.

“It’s my personal life, woven through the professional life and what was happening in the world woven into that,” said Copeland of his book, which he has been working on for about ten years. “I also wrote in the present tense so you would fell like it is happening now, kind of like a screenplay.”

The book takes the reader through Copeland’s childhood in the late 1920s through the present day giving insight into his prolific career as it progresses through his time with the famous Robert Mitchell Boy Choir (where he was featured in several classic movies), The Modernaires and the Allan Copland Trio (where he was featured constantly on popular television shows like “The Bob Crosby Show,” “Your Hit Parade Show” and comedian Red Skelton’s hour-long show), to solo work, to working with legendary artists (such as Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme), to the present day.

Although Copeland has made an immense contribution to popular music over the course of his long, and fruitful career, he is probably best known for his Grammy he received in 1968 with the “Allen Copeland Singers” for Mission Impossible-Norwegian Wood, a brilliant blending of the theme tune for the popular TV spy drama “Mission Impossible” with the beautiful Beatles song, “Norwegian Wood.”

“I had been nominated for a Grammy for an album I did with Count Basie and my singers, the “Alan Copeland singers,” but I didn’t win it…but two years later I got it for the ABC Single, Mission Impossible-Norwegian Wood,” recalled Copeland. “I was just thrilled. When the record came out it was rated on the Billboard charts and was played all the time on the radio (to listen to this song, check out alancopeland.com).

Through the 1970s and 80s, Copeland was still into the music scene down in L.A., and he and his wife put out three LPs together in their band named Feather. However, but by the mid-80s he said that things started to dry up.

“There weren’t those musical specials anymore,” said Copeland. “And when an opportunity arrived to move up to the mountains we decided to get out of there.”

This move to the mountains took Copeland into Tuolumne County, where he has been living ever since. He currently lives in Cedar Ridge and describes this area as “the hippest place on the planet.”

“I’ve been trying to do musically whatever I can fit in to up here,” Copeland said. “Currently I’m working with the Summerville Jazz Choir vocal arrangements and I play keyboard and work with musicians that are local whenever I can.”

If you have never heard Copeland perform, be sure to swing by All that Matters, because you may be in for a treat.