Al with blues-belter Maria Muldaur, backstage in New York City, 2005. Photo: Diane Lapson Latest Update Sign up for Al's email updates Email Address: NOTICE!!  Please sign up for the mailing list using the subscribe link above. The mailing list was lost, so even if you've signed up in the past, please SIGN UP AGAIN! FREE Full Interactive Booklet for 50/50 Album!!   If ya wanna see EVERYTHING about the 50/50 album, downlaod this zipfile. After you unzip the file, make sure you open the regular file with Adobe Reader preferably version 9, as it is a .pdf file. If you make it a fullscreen file, you won't have to squint & curse me out !! If you have not purchased the album, it is only available as a download on iTunes, fer instance - 50 songs for 24.99 - SUCH A DEAL!!!! Have fun either way. click here Free Video!!  To See Al's homemade video of his Italy/Scandinavian tour, click here. Quicktime users can download the movie by clicking here Obscurativa Radio Shows Now Available! Click here _____________   Welcome to Al Kooper's Website where we hope you find your way to all things Al. We are constantly upgrading and tweaking, so visit often and you'll always find a little surprise here or there. Feel free to sign our guest book and help create a cyber-mailing-list. Among some of the goodies onboard are Al's personal Top 100, diaries from various road trips, Al's guide through his various solo albums, rare photos, up-to-date live concert info, a biography, and lots more stuff on the way. Al's autobiography, "Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards" (Billboard Books-USA) was published in November, 1998. For more info on the book and some rave reviews, click here. With the exception of the "Landlord" soundtrack album, all of Al's albums are in print on CD! There aren't many in print in the USA, mind you, but with a little cyber-sleuthing import shops and online vendors can usually turn up a fresh laser copy of your favorite dog-eared Kooper LP. Al would also like to take this opportunity to thank his ole buddy Elliott Randall, guitarist extraordinaire, for being the webmaster/codewarrior on this site. See? And you thought he only played guitar! So, sit back and hopefully, everything you ever wanted to know about Al Kooper but were afraid to ask, will come leaping at you from your monitor in due time. Thanks for visiting and please return on a regular basis for updates and new goodies! UPDATE - APRIL 22nd, 2009 Well, back from a wonderful Japanese tour but severely jet-lagged. Not only is Tower Records still alive in Japan, but we got to play an in-store there in Tokyo !!! Not to mention shopping for two hours in the r&b/soul section uncovering MANY rarities. The Faculty had it's usual good time and we played some of our best sets there. Upcoming is a stop at the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, NH on May 30th, w/the Rockabilly Trio which is starting to expand into blues and 60's folk-rock. Definitely a show of vintage music if you enjoy that sort of thing ( and WE do !!)A fantasy I've always had will be coming true on July 25th in Albany at our favorite theater The Egg, where we will team up with DR. JOHN and his band. The two doctors have always wanted to play on the same bill and now it will finally happen. Get tix early I suspect. On July 31st we finally get to play close to Boston at The Showcase Live at Gillette Stadium with the Funky Faculty in tow. We hope all our Boston fans will come party with us as we finally get to play close to "home." On August 7th we take a bit of a drive to Lancaster, PA to rock out at Longs Park Amphitheatre, where the music is magic and the fried chicken is famous. That covers all bases, right ? So, if you are east-coasterly-based, come on out & see us this summer. I wish we were playing out more, but the recession is not doing much for us this summer.... I am going to ask all of you who have the inclination and have enjoyed either "Black Coffee," "White Chocolate" or "50/50," on iTunes, to post reviews on there and help us get the words out. Every little bit helps, and I know from your email that you are out there listening. I am just starting to gather material for the next album which will be more blues-oriented than the past two have been. An even mixture of original & outside tunes will provide a bit more familiarity than usual with twisted arrangements of some songs you already know. No telling when it will be ready yet, but I am imposing no deadlines at first. When it's ready, you'll be the first to know. All my eye surgeries turned out well, and I can see a wee bit better in my right eye as a result. I am so used to it all by now, that it doesn't inhibit me on any level. I have been a good adjuster in my old age so far. Thanks for all your wonderful emails. They really keep me going despite cringing at the various news reports that leak in the house from newspapers and TV. I have become a fan of Fringe and Hells Kitchen, and am eagerly awaiting Season Two of True Blood. Thought Gran Torino and Frost/Nixon were the best of the cinema bunch lately. And right below us is Al's guide to the best of new music for the last coupla months. See ya all as soon as I can get it together again on here All my best. Al Kooper BEST iTUNES DOWNLOADS MARCH/APRIL I am starting to dip into a bit of African music, so if you're not used to it, try it out and hear what you think. A really interesting new singer-songwriter based in Nashville jumped out at me recently and I downloaded her entire album - it was THAT good. See what you think of Sarah Siskind's new album "Say It Louder." Radio Moscow kinda brings an instrumental vibe close to early Zep on their new release. Steve Forbert, Neil Young, and Gomez return with some great new tracks. Jump in and see what YOU like. I love 'em all - AK Running Out of Love 2:33 Candi Staton A Change Gonna Come 3:36 Urban Mystic Give a Little Bit 3:36 The Goo Goo Dolls One Part, Two Part 3:42 Buddy & Julie Miller Memphis Jane 6:14 Buddy & Julie Miller Solitude 5:25 Marianne Faithfull In Germany Before the War 4:07 Marianne Faithfull The Phoenix 2:15 Marianne Faithfull & Sean Lennon Blues Walk 6:43 Lou Donaldson Goin' Way Blues (Alternate Take) 6:40 Jackie McLean Ich Fumbus Grossen 4:21 Chicago Afrobeat Project Nobody Likes a Prima Donna 4:54 Chicago Afrobeat Project Poppin' 5:55 The City Champs End of the Year 6:28 Other Lives Moon 2:53 Malika Ayane The Hard Way 4:07 Owsley Ce n'est pas bon 3:50 Amadou & Mariam Batoman 4:13 Amadou & Mariam Mortal Warrior 3:35 Beep Beep Granddaddy 2:26 Beep Beep A Bower Scene 2:09 The Decemberists June Carter Cat 2:56 The Drawing Room Skeleton Key 2:17 The Drawing Room The Garden of Even 2:21 The Drawing Room Duke's Alley Rag 4:15 James Hill & Anne Davison One More Lie to Love 4:26 James Hill & Anne Davison Baby I'm Scared of You 5:32 Leela James Who Will Comfort Me (Live) 4:59 Melody Gardot Glass Paperweight 2:39 Winter Gloves Mama Don't Want No Gun 4:18 Kokolo Three for Dizzy (Instrumental) 5:14 Roland Kirk & Jack McDuff Epiphany 4:00 Angel Taylor Chai Tea Latte 3:48 Angel Taylor Waterfall 4:42 Gavin DeGraw Little Pieces 3:24 Gomez Bone Tired 2:18 Gomez Write Me a Raincheck 3:13 Steve Forbert The Coo Coo Bird 3:33 Steve Forbert She Ain't Drunk 4:12 Mel Waiters Do Me 2:50 Jean Knight If I Ever Needed Love (I Sure Do Need It Now) 2:21 Ruby Johnson Brand New Day [Single Version] 3:45 The Staple Singers My Main Man / There Is a God 5:12 The Staple Singers City In the Sky (Single Version) 3:45 The Staple Singers 30-60-90 2:27 Willie Mitchell Sock It to 'Em Soul Brother (Instrumental) 2:30 Bill Moss It's a Miracle 5:21 Tyrone Davis Can You Cure Me? 3:25 Brendan Milburn, & Valerie Vigoda If You Had a Change of Mind 2:58 Tyrone Davis A Habibi Ouajee T'Allel Allaiya 4:13 The Master Musicians of Jajouka Touba 4:27 Issa Bagayogo I'm a Big Girl Now (Take 4) 2:37 Mable John If You Give Up What You Got (See What You Lost) 2:28 Mable John It's Catching 2:38 Mable John Be Warm to Me (Take 2) 2:58 Mable John I Love You More Than Words Can Say (Take 1) 2:49 Mable John Long Distance Call (Live At The Fillmore 1966) 7:10 Muddy Waters Honey Bee [Live At The Fillmore 1966] 4:35 Muddy Waters Raoul 4:42 Chico Hamilton Rampart Street 2:09 Fastball Winter Hill 5:19 Doves Jetstream 5:31 Doves Light a Candle 3:00 Neil Young Off the Road 3:22 Neil Young Love Walked In 4:26 Ray Charles Fingers 3:52 Great Northern Get a Job 4:08 James Taylor Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 2:22 Easy Star All-Stars With a Little Help from My Friends 3:13 Easy Star All-Stars Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds 4:33 Easy Star All-Stars She's Leaving Home (feat. Kirsty Rock) 3:10 Easy Star All-Stars A Day In the Life 5:52 Easy Star All-Stars Getting Better 3:19 Easy Star All-Stars Nothing to Prove 3:10 Jill Sobule Hold On Me 3:20 Radio Moscow Brain Cycles 3:23 Radio Moscow Say It Louder **ENTIRE ALBUM** Sarah Siskind Pay It Back 4:03 The Silent Years On Our Way Home 4:07 The Silent Years For Granted 4:04 Soulive Mt. 4:25 Super Furry Animals Sweet Honey Bee 6:56 Lee Morgan Blues in My Heart 6:00 Sonny Criss Late Night Lullaby 7:09 Houston Person Girl, This Boy Loves You 2:52 The Newcomers Too Little In Common to Be Lovers 3:32 The Newcomers GRANDKIDS DECEMBER 2007 See the darkness of Al's domiciles - click here. "50/50" is now availalbe on iTunes, Rhapsody, etc. Full interactive booklet only available here. "...Al Kooper is a skilled musician who's had a hand in some of the biggest and best albums in pop history--Highway 61 Revisited, Let It Bleed, and The Who Sell Out among them--but more importantly has a vastly impressive recording catalog of his own. A former member of New York's Blues Project and the founder of Blood Sweat & Tears--whose Child Is Father To The Man album, the only one featuring Kooper, is one of the finest pop records ever--Kooper released a string of excellent albums beginning with 1968's I Stand Alone, and most of them can be sampled here. A 50-track digital only release, the set is artfully sequenced and without a single moment of filler. I would suggest you find all his albums--especially 1969's You Never Know Who Your Friends Are, which approaches the BS&T album in its greatness--but in the meantime, check out this collection for a taste of this artist's fab greatness. It's easier to file than ever!..." DAVE DIMARTINO,YAHOO MUSIC Febuary 18th, 2009

GRANDFATHER IS CHILD TO THE MAN - Al's grinning grandson, Ben, hangs out backstage at Al's McCabe's show in L.A., January 11th. It was Ben's first Al show. Photo: Leslie Leaney   Al's new album "White Chocolate" is now available for purchase! Click here or go to store to place your order now. All copies will be signed! "...Coming just three years after Black Coffee, his first solo studio album of new material in three decades, White Chocolate (what's next, "Green Tea"?) is quite possibly the most satisfying solo release of this veteran's 50-year career. The title is the giveaway: Kooper has always championed classic soul music above all else, but now he's graduated from paying homage to his heroes of the '60s and '70s to absorbing their essence and personifying the music's most attractive qualities himself -- maybe this release falls short of equaling the best of Stax, Hi, or Philadelphia International (Kooper would no doubt admit to that), but not by much. Kooper has always made his best music when he holds the reins and here he not only self-produced and arranged, and of course sang the lead vocals, on some tracks he also played every instrument -- while Kooper's skills as a keyboardist are well established and his guitar work long underrated, he also puts down mandolin, percussion, string sounds, and more. Of course he did have help: several brass teams (including the Uptown Horns) and a vocal trio (including the great Catherine Russell) provide ace support. Various additional guitarists, bassists, and drummers flesh out the tracks but the focus never strays from Kooper himself. For starters, if he's ever enjoyed making a record this much before, you wouldn't know it: Kooper seems so at home here (and not just because most of the album was recorded at his Somerville, MA. home studio). His voice, at 65, has naturally weathered, but he can still hit the notes he needs to hit and never tries to sound like the brash twenty-something kid who recorded Super Session or Child Is Father to the Man. Yet despite the maturity of the music, there's an oversized quality to this recording and a set of instantly memorable melodies and hooks that make it Kooper's most blatantly radio-friendly album in years -- that is, if radio was anything close to what it was in 1968. Hear these songs a couple of times and you will swear you've known them all your life. But all of this is not to suggest this is a retro affair -- White Chocolate is exactly where Al Kooper should be right now. That's made clear from the first notes of opener "Love Time," as pure a slice of Southern soul/pop as the early 21st century can hope to produce. As the record unfolds, it becomes clearer that the lead track is no fluke: "I Love You More Than Words Can Say," penned by Booker T. Jones and Eddie Floyd back in the day, boasts some seriously funky chops and a tough guitar solo by Bob "Dyno" Doezema. A new take on Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh (It Takes a Train to Cry)," which Kooper and Michael Bloomfield cut on the classic Super Session album 40 years previously, is presented here as a rolling, brassy, souled-up shuffle. And Kooper had to love cutting his song "Staxability," a tribute to the legendary Stax Records of Memphis, with no less than Steve Cropper on guitar and Donald "Duck" Dunn of Booker T. & the MG's on bass. Kooper gets to shout "Play it, Steve!," a line familiar to any fan of vintage soul, and actually gets to hear Cropper do just what he's asked. In addition to his blue-eyed-soul pedigree, Kooper has always possessed a sharp sense of pop songcraft (he wrote "This Diamond Ring," the huge hit for Gary Lewis & the Playboys), and the chance to co-write two tunes for the album with Gerry Goffin (as in Goffin & King) had to be another dream come true for him. Those two are among the album's highlights: the smooth "You Make Me Feel So Good (All Over)" may not have more than a simple message to offer, but sometimes that's all that's needed to make the connection. And "No 1 2 Call Me Baby," with its phalanx of layered instruments and vocals, is almost Spectorian in its grandness. Other key tracks include the semi-autobiographical "Cast the First Stone," a statement on the politics of our times (of all times?) and how we all fit into those games; a gutsy, bluesy cover of Fred Neil's "Candy Man" (made famous by Roy Orbison); Kooper's interpretation of the Leiber & Stoller/Ben E. King perennial "I (Who Have Nothing)"; the set-closing, gospel-fied "(I Don't Know When But) I Know That I'll Be There Soon" (complete with Farfisa organ and accordion); and "Hold On," a tune of hope and self-determination that offers vocal thrills a-plenty when the powerhouse Russell takes lead on a verse and Kooper counters in his finest falsetto. White Chocolate can serve as a primer for Social Security-age rockers who still think the spandex fits. News flash: it doesn't..." JEFF TAMARKIN ( blog.allmusic.com) Febuary 16th, 2009 "...It can't be that easy being Al Kooper. When your talent allows you to chase off in so many directions, how do you decide which one to follow? The answer for Kooper, clearly, is you don't decide. You go after them all. White Chocolate is somewhat of an answer to his last studio album Black Coffee, and shows the gifted musician walking the blue-eyed soul side of the road, veering off into Brill Building pop shadings and paying a nod to his Bob Dylan roots on "It Takes a Lot to Laugh (It Takes a Train to Cry)." The amazing feat the veteran musician accomplishes is how seamless he makes it all sound. But a quick check of Al Kooper's resume shows how it couldn't be any other way: from being a member of the Royal "Short Shorts" Teens, co-writer of Gary Lewis & the Playboys' "This Diamond Ring" hit to founder of the Blues Project and early instigator of Blood, Sweat & Tears, discoverer and producer of Lynyrd Skynyrd along with endless solo albums and sessions with stellar lights like Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Michael Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and others, it's as if this is the Zelig of the rock crowd, except Kooper was often the most talented person in the room. So it's no surprise this new album hits all his sweet spots head on. The opening song, "Love Time," sounds like an instant classic, with Kooper's seductive voice and bedroom moves getting down to immediate business. Hopefully Al Green is listening. There's also a handful of other offerings equally great, and right at the end on "(I Don't Know When But) I Know That I'll Be There Soon," the man does it again, turning in a holy roller performance straight out of the church of eternal soul, making White Chocolate the gift that keeps on giving..." BENTLEY'S BANDSTAND (sonicboomers.com) - January 13th, 2009 "Perhaps the single most entertaining rock book of the year." DALLAS OBSERVER "He combines humor, insight and history into a fun, quick read." MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE "The book is put together like after-dinner conversation with someone who has been at the center of rock and roll for forty years. Read Kooper to get what you need!" PLAYBOY MAGAZINE "Vonnegut-esque...." ROLLING STONE "This is a man who lives for music and seems to attract outrageous and often hilarious experiences in the process. His tales are both wonderfully crazed and technically fascinating.." EQ MAGAZINE "From his work on Bob Dylan's classics to the best of The Rolling Stones, Al Kooper has been a musical Forrest Gump, turning up at many of the great historical moments in rock 'n' roll. Now a professor at Berklee, he looks back at his tumultuous life as a rock star..." BOSTON MAGAZINE "So who's Al Kooper? He's not only a funny guy whose life story is a you-just- can't-put-it-down read......Kooper is one of the greatest behind-the-scenes performers and producers in rock music history. Read and watch your jaw drop!" RAPID CITY (SD) JOURNAL "Al Kooper's Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor (Billboard Books) is an oasis of insight, humor and irreverence in the overstuffed wasteland of rock autobiographies." CHICAGO TRIBUNE "This is above all, an entertaining read.....Kooper is a funny guy, an equal opportunity puncturer of pretension, including his own....Wherever rock history was being made, he (Kooper) was in the vicinity....." MOJO MAGAZINE (UK) **NOW AVAILABLE** click here ".....At 61, almost no one alive has lived as much rock 'n' roll history as Mr. Kooper in his assorted lives as performer, producer, sideman, songwriter, author, talent scout, enthusiast, critic and muse...." SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES - July 3rd 2005 “....Now, this sixty-one-year-old seems to be hitting his stride as a solo artist. Backed by his band, The Funky Faculty, Kooper has gone back to the future with a release that delivers heartfelt soul and R&B.” *** ROLLING STONE – ISSUE #981 – AUGUST 25, 2005 "... Kooper reminds us that he is a major talent from the revelatory songwriting, to the nuanced world-weary singing to the ease in which he plumbs the subterranean depths of his soul and comes up with sheer gold. A career-defining work…..” (4 Stars)" MOJO MAGAZINE. UK Chalk “Black Coffee” up as a major comeback from one of the most vital musicians and most fascinating characters of his generation. NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE Kooper's stature as an exemplary producer and indispensable sideman is insurmountable; with Black Coffee, he shows he can apply that same incredible expertise to his own cause. Grade: A (Brian Baker) - CINCINNATTI CITY BEAT “Considered one of the most formidable talents in modern music, he’s played a key role in tens of millions of albums and singles sold in the last forty years.” MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE 9/20/05 “Mister Everywhere is back in biz!” BALTIMORE BLUES SOCIETY AUGUST 2005 “The sane person’s Phil Spector - Al Kooper - is back with a much-too-rare collection of Southern soul, R&B blues, and white person’s funk!” OTTAWA (CA) CITIZEN SEPTEMBER 3 2005 “Kooper is the consumate performer - he deftly incorporates Southern soul, sassy blues, R&B, backwoods ramble and a hint of reggae. The result is a solo set that is for once, true to his talents!” AMPLIFIER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2005 “At 61. Kooper may have created his finest work yet - and it was worth the wait - even if child is now grandfather to the man...” HARP MAGAZINE SEPT/OCT 2005 "....The first thing you want to do after listening to this CD is listen to it again—which is about the strongest endorsement an album can get. Al Kooper’s voice has been sorely missed all these years...." VINTAGE GUITAR "... It's a special kind of set from a rock survivor you should pay some attention to, especially if you care about what rock in the contemporary era is all about. ." -MIDWEST RECORD RECAP “...If you love The Band, Boz Scaggs, or early Robert Palmer, this delightful album from the man who has already contributed so much to the rich tapestry of rock is for you....**** ”     THE INDEPENDENT (UK) “The musically well-traveled, and lately professorial, Kooper's debut for guitarist Steve Vai's Favored Nations label marks a welcome return to the studio for one of the prime movers of rock 'n' soul.... The Funky Faculty studio cuts showcase Kooper's still potent producing and arranging genius.... An appealing, aptly titled project that, hopefully, won't get lost in the shuffle.” *** RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE (UK) September 2005 “Black Coffee” is an expertly crafted work of pop that abounds with skillfully played blue-eyed soul, country blues, breezy jazz, gospel & rock.It’s also one of 2005’s top discs.” THE VIRGINIAN PILOT AUGUST 5, 2005 “Black Coffee,” his first solo effort since the mid-’70’s is a hot cup of classic R&B peppered with Al Green horn lines....” RELIX MAGAZINE AUGUST 2005 “...Kooper and The Funky Faculty, turn up the inspiration dial to 10 and cut loose with a batch of solidly written originals that accent the gritty, immediate and timeless heart of a popular music that hasn’t been so in decades....” ALL MUSIC GUIDE Black Coffee is a pretty cool diverse record - a testament to how a talented musician keeps his chops and his edge. Repeated listenings reward the ear with more and more detail....” DISCOVERIES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2005 “Al Kooper has done it all - from supplying that organ on Bob Dylans’ “Like A Rolling Stone” to discovering Lynyrd Skynyrd....he never could sing, though. Thirty years since his last solo outing, he still can’t.” Peter Kane Q MAGAZINE (UK) SEPTEMBER 2005