After the surprising success of his Super Session project, Al Kooper organised a series of concerts at the Fillmore West with his musical partner Mike Bloomfield (who had fortunately returned after disappearing during the making of Super Session). The band that played the concerts consisted of Kooper (organ/vocals), Bloomfield (guitar/vocals), John Kahn (bass) and Skip Prokop (drums). Their material was mostly R&B based, but also included songs from contemporary pop and rock artists, all performed with a improvisational jam-orientated approach. The concerts were recorded, and a live double album was put together, credited to both Kooper and Bloomfield, and released in 1969.It was quite a loose, ragged live document, but it made for a fine album, showcasing the talents of Kooper as singer, organist and bandleader, and solidifying Bloomfield's reputation as the best white American blues guitarist. Also it notably featured Bloomfield's vocal deubt, on a cover of Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love On Me Too Strong". Other cover songs included "Dear Mr Fantasy" by Traffic, "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MGs, "The Weight" by The Band, "The 59th Street Bridge Song" by Simon & Garfunkel, "That's Alright" by Arthur Crudup, "Sonny Boy Williamson" by Manfred Mann, and a couple of Ray Charles numbers. It also featured guest appearances from two other fantastic guitarists - Elvin Bishop (Bloomfield's old bandmate from his days with The Butterfield Blues Band), and Carlos Santana.
By the time of its release Kooper had already begun his career as a solo artist. Bloomfield's own solo debut would also come out that same year.
More from Al Kooper
More from Mike Bloomfield
Download
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment