Al KOOPER - Rekooperation 1994

Al KOOPER - Rekooperation 1994

Blues

This is a beautiful return of one of the greatest pure music minds in the business. Al still has the touch for meshing blues with jazz, r&b and soul with rock. As always Big Al surrounds himself with superb musicians of the highest quality and the results are simply wonderful. This is a must own for every pure american music buff. My advice is to buy this one and the Soul Of A Man, Live and crank them up for an evening of historic, exciting and butt kicking music. Keep on doing it Big Al.
**
The best of all of Al Kooper's studio albums, Rekooperation is a mostly instrumental album, on which the artist (playing organ and piano, and occasional guitar) and a band including Jimmy Vivino, Harvey Brooks, and Fred Walcott, among others, roar and pound their way through a baker's dozen of R&B, rock & roll, and soul classics. Everything from chestnuts like "Soul Twist," "Honky Tonk," "Johnny B. Goode," "Clean Up Woman," and " "Don't Be Cruel" to originals such as "Downtime" and "Alvino Johnson's Shuffle," without a notable gap in quality between them, are included -- and the one vocal number, "I Wanna Little Girl," contains one of the finest singing performances that Kooper has ever turned in on record (but is also played so well, that it would work as an instrumental too). In many ways, this recording is a distant cousin to Blood, Sweat & Tears' Child Is Father to the Man, and was his first attempt at leading a band since that 1968 venture, which was sort of fitting since it led to Soul of a Man, Kooper's live-in-concert career retrospective album, the next time out.
By Bruce Eder, All Music Guide.
**
Jimmy Vivino- Guitar (Rhythm), Horn Arrangements, Guitar
Fred Walcott- Percussion
Johnnie Johnson- Piano
John Simon- Piano, Vocals
Randy Brecker- Trumpet
Harvey Brooks- Bass
Crispin Cioe- Alto, Baritone Sax
Laurence Etkin- Trumpet
Jim Fielder- Drums
Anton Fig- Drums
Paul Franklin- Vocals, Dobro
Bob Funk- Trombone
John Gardner- Drums, Percussion
Kenny Greenberg- Guitar (Rhythm)
Arno Hecht- Tenor Sax
Al Kooper- Horn Arrangements, Guitar, Wurlitzer, Multi Instruments, Producer, Photography, Art Direction, Organ (Hammond), Keyboards, Remastering, Arranger, Piano
John Sebastian- Harmonica
Hank Crawford- Alto Sax, Vocals
Dick Hyman- Piano
**
01. Downtime 4:11
02. After the Lights Go Down Low 4:19
03. When The Spell Is Broken 6:17
04. How 'My Ever Gonna Get Over You 4:24
05. Sneakin Round The Barnyard 5:25
06. Soul Twist-ed 4:39
07. Lookin for Clues 3:52
08. Honky Tonk 5:44
09. Clean Up Woman 2:55
10. Don't Be Cruel 5:15
11. Alvino Johnson's Shuffle 4:34
12. Johnny B. Goode 3:16
13. I Wanna Little Girl 5:19
**

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Al KOOPER - Soul of A Man Al Kooper Live 1995

Al KOOPER - Soul of A Man Al Kooper Live 1995

Blues

"Soul of a Man" is a wonderful 2 disc set that was recorded during a celebration of the career of Rock man behind the scene, Al Kooper. He's been there making great music, first as a session man with a talent for making classic songs stick to your brain, i.e. "Like a Rolling Stone" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want". He continued then as a bandleader (the Blues Project and the original Blood,Sweat and Tears),and made many fine recordings as a solo artist. For this live recording,he managed to assemble some of his many friends and former bandmates to appear with him at the Bottom Line in NYC for a couple of memorable nights. The recording itself is just plain wonderful. Whoever mixed it did an incredible job. The versions of old chestnuts like "I Can't Quit Her" and "Flute Thing" sound better than the originals, and the band(s) all play like they're having as much fun as the audience. There are a couple of mis-steps when Danny Kalb sings "2 Trains Runnin",and when Koop plays a loopy version of "Sleepwalk", but all in all, it is a magical performance. If you know Koop"s work, you will be pleased, and, if you don't, this is a great introduction. Man! I wish I had been there!
By Kevin Kellett.
**
A gift from heaven is the only adequate way of describing this superb double-CD set, which comes in a slip-case with a neat little booklet. It is the definitive Al Kooper solo project, and a career reconsideration and retrospective, but it's also damn close to definitive as a document of the Blues Project and the original Blood, Sweat & Tears as well. At three February 1994 gigs at New York's Bottom Line, Kooper got together the original members of both bands (with BS&T billed as "Child Is Father to the Man" and his own Rekooperators, including John Simon and Harvey Brooks, with John Sebastian sitting in on harmonica, to perform new versions of 33 years' worth of repertory. The eerie thing is that it sounds like Kooper didn't skip a beat between the last shows of any of those bands and these gigs -- his voice is better than ever, and the performance on "I Can't Quit Her" (a song he introduces by saying he hates playing it "except with these guys"--the original BS&T) and the rest of the '60s repertory has all of the energy one could wish for, and more precision than the group might have achieved in 1968 (and certainly better sound). There are some new arrangements on numbers like "My Days Are Numbered," which features a soaring trumpet duel between Randy Brecker and Lew Soloff, and some hot guitar by Jimmy Vivino -- all of which only adds to the original. And "I'll Love You More than You'll Ever Know" features such an intense performance by Kooper, that by itself it's worth the price of the double CD. The Blues Project pick up where they left off in 1967, doing hard, crunchy renditions of Muddy Waters songs ("Two Trains Runnin'" and classic originals, including a glorious nine-minute "Flute Thing." The Rekooperators, led by Mike Bloomfield-disciple Jimmy Vivino, do glowing performances of Bloomfield-Kooper repertory such as "Albert's Shuffle" and "Season of the Witch," and Kooper-related numbers like "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (part of a surging medley with "Season of the Witch", and the Ronnie Van Zant number "Made in the Shade" (featuring Kooper on blues mandolin). The Uptown Horns and back-up soul singers Sheryl Marshall and Catherine Russell fill in the sound on various songs, on what must have been three extraordinary nights. For some reason, Steve Katz refused to allow his guitar to appear on the release, so his part has been wiped and replaced by Jimmy Vivino and other guest players on both the Blues Project and Child Is Father to the Man tracks, but that seems to be the only major sweetening done in the studio. The beautiful part of this set, beyond the superb performances and the excellent sound quality, is that the music has been treated with respect in the packaging -- the heavily annotated booklet even lists each soloist on every number, in the manner of proper jazz releases.
By Bruce Eder. AMG.
**
Al Kooper- (Keyboards, Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin);
Howard Emerson- (Slide Guitar);
Jimmy Vivino- (Guitar, Piano, Background Vocals);
Lew Soloff, Fred Lipsius, Tom "Bones" Malone- (Horns);
John Simon- (Keyboards);
Chris Michie, Will Lee, Harvey Brooks, Jim Fielder- (Bass);
Anton Fig- (Drums);
Sheryl Marshall, Catherine Russell- (Background Vocals).
+
Jerry Douglas- (Guitar,Lap Steel Guitar),
Billy Lloyd- (Guitar),
John Sebastian- (Harmonica),
Johnnie Johnson- (Piano),
Michael Henderson- (Harmonica),
Randy Brecker- (Horn).
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Disc 1

01. Somethin' Goin' On
02. I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes
03. I Stand Alone Medley: I Stand Alone / I Can Love A Woman / New York City (You're A Woman)
04. Flute Thing
05. Don't Tell Me
06. Two Trains Running
07. Heartbeat
08. Sleepwalk
09. Just One Smile

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Disc 2

01. I Can't Quit Her
02. I Wanna Little Girl
03. My Days Are Numbered
04. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
05. Vocal Intro
06. Made in the Shade
07. Downtime
08. Violets of Dawn
09. Albert's Shuffle
10. Closing Medley: You Can't Always Get What You Want / Season Of The Witch / Al's Witch Hunt
**
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AL KOOPER & Friends - WNEW Studios March 3,1996

AL KOOPER & Friends - WNEW Studios March 3,1996
New York City,USA (FM)
Bootleg
Credits to *sparkyibew*

Blues

One sunday nite in New York  Al Kooper brought up to a radio station WXRK  his friends Danny kalb
from the Blues Project  and Jimmy Vivino  from the Rekooperations and Conan O Brians  band..
They played a few  Blues numbers.. Al on mandolin ( and keyboard on the last song) Jimmy
on slide steel and danny on acoustic  guitar..
I dont know the names of the songs  but there was a real magic going on that nite,,,
So this is from WXRK radio  NYC 
**
01. I Don't Know When But I Know I'll Be There Soon
02. So Sweet
03. God Don't Never Change
04. Am I Wrong
05. I Can't Be Satisfied (I Be's Troubled)
06. The Mississippi Kid
07. How 'my Ever Gonna Get Over You
**
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Bloomfield, Kooper, Stills - Super Session 1968 (REPOST)

Bloomfield, Kooper, Stills - Super Session 1968 (REPOST)

Blues

Nothing on this 1968 album approaches the best work of any of the three principals involved. What's more, the record sounds hopelessly mired in 1968. On the other hand, it's one of the original, groovy jam-rock statements, a spontaneous session filled with enjoyable but dispensable noodling. The first half showcases Bloomfield's piercing, edgy guitar on three blues instrumentals and one modal-jazz extravaganza. The cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Man's Temptation" falls into comic-relief territory, however. Stills and Kooper engage in a countrified Dylan cover and a rambling 11-minute version of Donovan's "Season of the Witch." Ironically, the album's appeal and its ultimate downfall lie in the "tossed-off" vibe.
By Marc Greilsamer.
**
Harvey Brooks- Bass
Eddie Hoh- Drums
Mike Bloomfield- Guitar [Electric] tracks: 1 to 5
Stephen Stills tracks: 6 to 8
Al Kooper- Piano, Organ, Organ [Ondioline], Vocals, Guitar [12-string]
**
01. Albert's Shuffle (6:43)
02. Stop (4:23)
03. Man's Temptation (3:25)
04. His Holy Modal Majesty (9:13)
05. Really (5:29)
06. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (3:30)
07. Season Of The Witch (11:07)
08. You Don't Love Me (4:12)
09. Harvey's Tune (2:09)
Bonus Tracks:
10. Albert's Shuffle [2002 Remix without Horns]
11. Season Of The Witch [2002 Remix without Horns]
12. Blues For Nothing (4:13)
**
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Al KOOPER & Shuggie OTIS - Kooper Session 1970

Al KOOPER & Shuggie OTIS - Kooper Session 1970
Label: Mvp / Columbia
Release Date: Dec 7, 1999
Jazz   

In 1969, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Al Kooper added "talent scout" to his already lengthy résumé on the follow-up to the highly successful Super Session disc, which had been issued the previous year. One major difference between the two, however, is the relatively unknown cast featured on Kooper Session. Both albums again converge with the presentation of top-shelf musicianship and inspired performances. At only 15 years of age, guitarist Shuggie Otis is equally potent a performer as the seasoned keyboardist/guitarist Kooper. The duo is able to manifest an aggregate of material whose success leans as much on Kooper's experience as it does on Otis' sheer inspired youthful energy. The LP is divided between a side of shorter works (aka "songs") and a few extended instrumentals (aka "blues"). Kooper and Otis steer their house band, which includes Stu Woods (bass), Wells Kelly (drums), and Mark Klingman (piano). The tight arrangements aptly reveal Kooper's uncanny ability as a musical conduit. "Bury My Body" -- a variation on "In My Time of Dyin'"  has been reworked into a gospel rave-up and features Kooper on one of the album's only vocals. Conversely, "Double or Nothing" is a spot-on re-creation of a Booker T. & the MG's track, which not only retains every Memphis-inspired intonation, but also shows off Otis' ability to cop Steve Cropper's guitar solo note for note. The blues instrumental jams are documented live and presented on this album the way that they originally went down at the recording sessions. The descriptively titled "Shuggie's Old Time Dee-Di-Lee-Di-Leet-Deet Slide Boogie" is endowed with a nostalgic piano/bottleneck slide duet and even features the added production value of manufactured surface noise. Both "12:15 Slow Goonbash Blues" and "Shuggie's Shuffle" are certainly no less traditional, allowing both Otis and Kooper the chance to stretch out and interact in real time.
By Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide.

**
Al kooper's previous album(supersession)set the standard for superstar jam albums so this record,released just one year later,was bound to be overlooked.However,since most of shuggie otis' discography has been reissued in recent years it only seemed natural that eventually they would dust off this little gem.The record is broken into two sides:side one consists of concise readings of more tradionally based blues material while side two is where shuggie and al decide to stretch out in the form of three lenghty jams.All and all this album is a nice little record that if you dig shuggie otis is well worth forking over the ten or twelve bucks for the experience.
By  Candis P. Berens.
**
Harris Singers Robinson- Vocals, Performer
Albertine Robinson- Vocals
Valerie Simpson- Vocals
Stu Woods- Bass
Shuggie Otis- Bass, Guitar (Baritone), Guitar,
Hilda Harris- Vocals
Melvin Jernigan- Wind
Wells Kelly- Drums
Mark "Moogy" Klingman- Piano, Keyboards
Al Kooper- Organ, Vocals, Guitar (Baritone), Ondioline, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano
**
01. Bury My Body 9:00
02. Double or Nothing 2:29
03. One Room Country Shack 3:37
04. Lookin' for a Home 5:52
05. 12.15 Slow Goonbash Blues 9:29
06. Shuggie's Old Time Dee-Di-Lee-Di-Leet-Deet Slide Boogie 4:05
07. Shuggie's Shuffle 6:27
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Al KOOPER - Black Coffee 2005

Al KOOPER - Black Coffee 2005
Label: Favored Nations

Blues

While at Berklee, Al Kooper assembled a new band comprised entirely of fellow instructors. Appropriately dubbing them The Funky Faculty, Al began to perform regularly with his scholarly pals, both in the U.S. and abroad. The Funky Faculty appears on several of the studio recordings on Black Coffee, Al cutting the band live without overdubs to preserve the spontaneity of their intuitive interactions. For Black Coffee, Al selected nine originals and five cover songs to include on the album, reworking those covers in his own inimitable style. Together, the 14 tracks flawlessly represent the state of his musicality in 2005. The harsh realities of life are all dealt with lyrically here, hence the album title. "My Hands Are Tied" "Keep It To Yourself." "Going, Going Gone," "Imaginary Lover," "Another Man's Prize" and "(I Want You To) Tell Me The Truth" all deal with neo-dark situations that many can relate to. Al's choice of cover songs also opens a window into the world of sounds that have touched him throughout his long, storied career, from Motown legends the Temptations ("Get Ready") to the classy blues revivalist Keb' Mo' ("Am I Wrong") to the genius himself, Ray Charles ("Just For A Thrill"). Al, in fact, considers Black Coffee to be his finest overall collection of material since that legendary first Blood, Sweat and Tears album so many decades ago. He gets no argument there. Black Coffee is not just a remarkable re-entry, it's a zenith. Everything that Al Kooper has accomplished, everything he has learned as a jack-of-all-trades, he brings to a boil on this phenomenal new CD. But singling out highlights from Black Coffee remains a near impossibility. As Al puts it, "I made the record I wanted to make and I'm very pleased with it. To me that's what success means."
Editorial Reviews.
**
01. My Hands Are Tied  4.51
02. Am I Wrong  3.28
03. How My Ever Gonna Get Over You  5.34
04. Going, Going, Gone   4.57
05. Keep It to Yourself  5.20
06. Get Ready  3.13
07. Imaginary Lover  3.37
08. Green Onions  6.23
09. Another Man's Prize  6.06
10. Childish Love  3.25
11. Got My Ion Hue  4.18
12. Just For a Thrill  3.54
13. Comin' Back in a Cadillac  9.54
14. Tell Me the Truth, (I Want You to)  3.55
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