Tales from the life of Al Kooper, from songwriter to playing organ for Bob Dylan to producing Lynyrd Skynyrd. Al tells about crossing paths with an amazing cast of characters in rock and beyond. Short podcasts, perfect for those 5-10 minutes time slots.
6 min
We discuss the wonders of adding horns to rock, particularly in view of Al’s experience creating Blood Sweat and Tears. As often happens, Nilly the Dog adds a brief comment of her own. You can submit questions for Al at alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
6 min
We ponder an interesting stream-of-consciousness email from Steven, talk about our recent partner-in-podcast-crime, Jimmy Vivino, and we begin a longer conversation about working with horns. After each answer from Al, Nilly the Dog adds a brief comment of her own. You can submit questions for Al at alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
7 min
We answer listener questions about Al the hoopster, his parents big time involvement in the temple in Queens, Al going to Paul Simon’s bar mitzvah, and the origin of title of the Kapusta Albums is revealed… via Ernie Kovacs. After each answer from Al, Nilly the Dog adds a brief comment of her own. Ask Al questions at www.alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
The newest 50 of 217 episodes
6 min
We discuss the wonders of adding horns to rock, particularly in view of Al’s experience creating Blood Sweat and Tears. As often happens, Nilly the Dog adds a brief comment of her own. You can submit questions for Al at alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
6 min
We ponder an interesting stream-of-consciousness email from Steven, talk about our recent partner-in-podcast-crime, Jimmy Vivino, and we begin a longer conversation about working with horns. After each answer from Al, Nilly the Dog adds a brief comment of her own. You can submit questions for Al at alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
7 min
We answer listener questions about Al the hoopster, his parents big time involvement in the temple in Queens, Al going to Paul Simon’s bar mitzvah, and the origin of title of the Kapusta Albums is revealed… via Ernie Kovacs. After each answer from Al, Nilly the Dog adds a brief comment of her own. Ask Al questions at www.alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
6 min
In this episode we talk again – with a little different take – on the infamous Rolling Stone session where Al uncorked his legendary organ sound on Dylan. Then we talk a bit about the upcoming Dylan movie.
8 min
In this episode Al answers questions about sheet music for Flute Thing, about Al’s old manger Sam Polley, from a nephew of Denny Cordell, a guy from Al’s old school, producer money from the Dylan days, and Al’s at Birdland as a kid. And Nilly the Dog is back in the swing of things, added a canine comment after each answer by Al.
9 min
The last Vivino episode starts with Elvis and ends with Nilly the Dog, with lots of stuff in between.
7 min
We talk about the contrast between the singing styles of Paul Simon and Bob Dylan and how much Al loved playing for Dylan back in the day.
9 min
The guys talk about the huge influence of the Everly brothers and the conversations wanders on from there...
5 min
The guys talk about the great arranger Charles Calello, then move on to to about arranging in general, and about live recording vs today's multi-tracked.
7 min
The guys talk about how pervasive influence of The Band on everyone from Eric Clapton to Elton John, then about how John Simon produced two great albums for The Band... and one for Blood, Sweat & Tears.
6 min
The guys talk about producers from Phil Spector to Brian Wilson to George Martin to Al Kooper.
5 min
Al and Jimmy talk about their great admiration for the work of Thom Bell, the Philly sound legend.
6 min
The guys start talking about Elton John, his great producer Gus Dudgeon, other great producers and that somehow leads to Al's legendary French horn opening to the Stone's "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
9 min
The guys start out talking about Jimi Hendrix which leads to other great guitar players, which leads to Terry Kath of Chicago.
7 min
The episode starts with Al as arranger, which leads back to Blonde on Blonde and how Al was on two of the four landmark double-albums in rock history.
7 min
This episode starts off with Jimmy stating that Chuck Berry was the most important song writer in rock and roll history. And they go from there and talk about Little Richard and on to how Nashville sessions guys are just different than New York session guys.
5 min
The guys talk about Al getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the question of how to sell Al’s box set, and on from there. And Al makes some outstanding stomach sounds.
6 min
The guys talk about the music biz today and the effect of streaming, how big time studio guys then started bands, and how amazing was Al’s Hammond organ playing with Dylan.
6 min
Jimmy traces Al’s career after the Royal Teens though songwriting and then becoming friends with Tom Wilson, which led to the day that changed Al’s life and the sound of Dylan and rock forever.
6 min
Jimmy talks about the big difference between the young American guys who played the blues versus the Brits. And that leads to talking about Al playing keyboard for the Stones, where Mick and Keith picked up Al, while playing a Taj Mahal album in the limo.
7 min
They talk about their love for the great blues players and Jimmy Reed in particular. (Your host specially dug this conversation since he first saw Al with the The Blues Project in Central Park where Jimmy Reed also played around 1968 or so.)
6 min
Jimmy talks to Al about the old days writing songs at 1650 Broadway, and Al accuses Jimmy of romanticizing those days, which Jimmy admits he totally trying to do.
6 min
Jimmy talks about how in many songs a certain instrument plays the role of the icing on the cake; it adds a certain extra beauty and how Al did that for Dylan and for so many others.
6 min
This is first of 19 episodes where these two music buddies invited us to listen in on their music biz talk. This one starts with how they met, but like all of these, goes off into all sorts of other stuff.
8 min
We answer listener questions about am radio in the old days, Skynyrd after Al, did Al play keyboard with the Tubes, playing with Taj Mahal, Al’s collection of 380,00 songs, and a drunk Hubert Sumlin fan who Al was really nice to. After each question Nilly the Dog adds a canine comment. You can always submit questions for Al at alkooper.com on the Kooperkast page.
10 min
Al has mentioned the Nonesuch album Music of Bulgaria many times in the podcast so we thought we’d devote a whole podcast to it and play some very short bits of the music in order to give listeners a glimpse of the remarkable sound and hopefully prompt many to buy the album.
7 min
We answer questions starting with one about Steven King, the shift from AM to FM for rock and its effect on song length, about the mystery of mastering songs, and about the Funky Faculty at Berklee. As always, Nilly the Dog ends each segment with her dogged thoughts.
7 min
We answer questions about the influence of the artist versus the producer in recording sessions, and about the whole process of writing songs as a words - music team, starting with This Diamond Ring. Nilly the Dog concludes each segment with some brief pooch dog thoughts.
8 min
We answer a question about Paul Griffin from renowned rock writer Tony Scherman, about writing charts for other musicians, a mystery question about Al’s junior high 109, and the genesis of brass in rock with Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago. After each segment Nilly the Dog adds some brief thoughts.
8 min
We cover questions including the old days in Queens with Simon, Garfunkel, and Harvey Brooks, to what if Like a Rolling Stone was a waltz. Of course, Nilly the Dog follows each segment with canine input of her own.
7 min
We cover an assortment of questions from the first time Al heard This Diamond Ring on the radio to quadraphonic sound. Of course, Nilly the Dog follows each segment with canine input of her own..
7 min
We cover a bunch of questions including Al’s favorite Gospel group, the Swan Silvertones, also about Felix Caviliere, and about modern music. Of course, Nilly the Dog follows each segment with canine input of her own..
8 min
This is your host, Al’s chrome plated bumper, Jon Sachs. We answer a few more Lynyrd Skynyrd questions, along with some Fender- Gibson and guitar-vs-organ talk. Of course, Nilly the Dog follows each segment with canine input of her own.
9 min
We answers questions that raise the issue of the very loud volume of rock concerts, and what Al thinks about that. As always, Nilly the Dog ends each segment with her dogged thoughts.
9 min
We talk about the good old not so great days at 1650 Broadway and we hear from L. Russell Brown who created a few million sellers with Al’s old songwriting pal. Nilly the Dog concludes each segment with some brief pooch dog thoughts.
6 min
We take a few questions about Nilly the Dog, including a startling revelation about the naked truth of her commentaries. We cover other topics, concluding with another exquisite example of Al’s duck talk. After each segment Nilly the Dog adds some brief thoughts, or at least she claims they are her thoughts and her woof.
7 min
We conclude our talk about From His Head To His Heart To His Hands, the Mike Bloomfield Box set that Al Produced, and we also wander off into another Appaloosa story that shows again how deeply Al cared and cares about the music above everything.
7 min
We bounce around various topics that relate the the box set, including more on East West, Bloomfield making way for Bishop, and Al’s visit to Mill Valley.
8 min
We talk about creating the box set of Bloomfield for Columbia, about John Hammond, Bloomfield being afraid of Butterfield, about the legendary album East West, and Al doing this project out of love.
7 min
We answer questions under what conditions Al would accept the gift of a Hammond B3 Organ, about the Bloomfield box set, and back to playing the organ. Of course, Nilly the Dog follows each segment with canine input of her own..
6 min
In this episode a question reveals that Al was a proud member of his college marching band, and we talk about not getting royalties from albums you played on. Of course, Nilly the Dog follows each segment with canine input of her own.
7 min
We answer a question from our first Czechoslovakian listener, a question about maybe Mike Bloomfield’s old guitar, and a greeting from old friend Glober (global?) Gober. As always, Nilly the Dog ends each segment with her dogged thoughts.
7 min
We answer questions about how Al starts writing songs, about the Metropole Lounge, and about Al’s crazy shirts. Nilly the Dog concludes each segment with some brief pooch dog thoughts.
8 min
We start with a rare bit of Donald Duck talk from Al and then about not visiting the Hall of Fame in Cleveland, being on the road vs staying in your home town, and the Cow Incident with the Blues Project. After each segment Nilly the Dog adds some brief thoughts of her own.
7 min
We answer questions about the concept of a movie version of Backstage Passes, about the lost potential of the accounting firm Kuperschmidt and Zimmerman, and we get interrupted by Nilly the Dog, who usually only speaks up after each question.
9 min
We answer questions about piano chops and about Tom Wilson and his son. After each answer, Nilly the Dog adds a wise and succinct comment of her own.
7 min
We answer questions about attending the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, about writing with Gerry Goffin, and about some old grade school friends. After each answer, Nilly Dog adds a summary comment of her own.
9 min
We answer questions about Bert Sommer, whether Al was the actual Under Assistant West Coast Promo Man, choosing songs for the Steve Stills side of SuperSession, and about writing with Dan Penn. After each answer, Nilly the Dog adds a dogged comment of her own.
8 min
We talk about the piano great Johnnie Johnson, Al as A&R man, then about playing with Dylan. After each answer, Nilly Dog adds a short but pithy comment of her own.
7 min
We answer questions including about singing falsetto, which leads to Claude Jeter, and the Swan Silvertones. After each question Nilly the Dog adds a short but pithy comment of her own.
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