KooperKast

We talk about Hank Crawford playing the alto sax, a song that pay tribute to the Doors, a Ray Manzarek story, and glissandos on the black keys.

We talk about the amazing combination of alto sax with dobro, a side chat about Gary Burton’s Tennessee Firebird album, Al’s website, Duane Eddy, and Bill Dogget.

We talk about Clean Up Woman and his discovery of the great guitarist Little Beaver, more dobro plus alto sax, Johnny Johnson the piano legend, and the track with Dick Hyman, another piano legend.

We hear a great review of the album, we wander into talking about CD vs Vinyl, Al selling his LPs, Als collection of 45s, and selling them on eBay.

We hear a few last thoughts on the album, and chat about the 6 decades of Al’s career, and we muse on singers versus songwriters.

Al talks about three nights at the Bottom Line in 1994 that were recorded to make the album, with members of Blood Sweat and Tears, members of The Blues Project, and Al’s current band at the time, the Rekooperators. Al talks about Jimmy Vivino on Piano, sax master Fred Lipsius,  Jerry Douglas on Dobro, John Simon on Piano, about Andy Kulberg and Flute Thing. 

Al talks about Danny Kalb playing great on Two Trains Runnings, the musical complexity of Adrian Belew, John Simon just having a great time, and doing Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny.

Al talks about “I Want A Little girl” from Ray Charles, John Simon’s scary great piano, backwards guitar solo by Oniviv Ymmij, (Jimmy Vivino spelled backwards) on My Days are Numbered, and stellar trumpet solos by Lew Soloff and Randy Brecker, plus the greats John Sebastian and Johnny Johnson.

Al talks about  favored musical keys: that horns favor E flat and B flat… about Eric Andersons’s Violets of Dawn…. Jimmy Vivino as disciple of Bloomfield, You Can’t Always Get What You Want live on stage, with the chorus.

Al talks about mandolin, and I read him a ton of rave reviews for Soul of a Man, by Dave Chavers, the Best Live Albums website,  and many others...

We talk about the songs on Al’s second solo album, including Magic in My Socks, Lucille, and The Great American Marriage / Nothing.  And we read some reviews including a lovely one in German.

Al talks about Tower of Power on the horns, there is another comment by Nilly the Dog, about singer Mickey Thomas, more on Valerie Carter and Prince, the clavinet, and pianist Jim Ehinger. 

Al talks about P. Johnson, of the Chairmen of the Board, we explore the mystery of Connie Ducharme, the record company’s iffy reception of the album, and about Ricky Washington, the pool guy who sang Finders Keepers on the album.

Al talks about how the album started out as a partnership with Jeff Baxter, about Al singing a lot less, the expectation of another Supersession, about producer Bill Szymczyk, a complaint from Nilly the Dog, and about singer Valerie Carter who sings two songs on the album.

Al answers a question about east coast vs west coast musicians, the song, A Drive though the Old Neighborhood,  Todd Rundgren, a question about questions, yet another thought on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and after each answer Nilly the dog adds her own comment.

Al answers questions about the lack of live Blood Sweat and Tears recordings from the first tour, Al’s favorite drummers, what if Supersession had been all Bloomfield, and what kinds of music does Al like from around the world. Of course, after each of Al’s answers, Nilly the dog adds a brief comment.

Al answers questions about what amps Skynard used,  Randy Newman and his song Just One Smile, a brief segment where Nilly the dog goes crazy, what comes first writing a song, a chance meeting at the pancake house in 1966, and what happened to horn-rock like Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago. And of course,  after each of Al’s answers, Nilly the dog adds a brief comment.

Al talks about going to United Artists after Columbia, the opening chatter on the album, his first official version of This Diamond Ring, the fabulous guitar work of Little Beaver, and working with the Ron Hickman singers. Visit www.alkooper.com for more good stuff.

 In this episode Al talks about working with the great producer John Simon, and Simon’s infamous comment about an Al vocal take, The Rainbow Bar and Grill sound segment, and Joe Walsh playing on Hollywood Vampire. Visit www.alkooper.com for more good stuff.

Al reacts to various online reviews, teases us about the upcoming box set, and how Joe Walsh was his Jeff Lynne on Hollywood Vampire.  Visit www. alkooper.com for more good info.

Al talks about Dylan’s tendency to just play cover songs at recording sessions, we veer off about the recently passed B3 organ wizard Lonnie Smith, and one more take on Al’s B3 adventure on Like a Rolling Stone.

Al talks about Dylan’s piano playing, and bringing Mike Stoller’s wife, a top NY harp player, to play on Sign on a Window (which version is not the one one the 1970 album, but you can find it on YouTube, among other places).

In this episode we comment on people’s attempts to explain the meaning of Dylan songs, and Al’s arrangement of If Dog’s Run Free.

Al answers questions including a story about hippies playing monopoly, Redbone,  Jerry Ragavoy, and an update on the Box set. As always, after each of Al’s answers, Nilly the dog adds a brief comment.

Al answers questions about which song is he most proud of, about live recordings, the great Jimmy Reed, that elusive box set, questions from a horse race fellow, the music of the 60S, and what is at the top of Al’s memory bank. As always, after each of Al’s answers, Nilly the dog adds a brief comment.