KooperKast
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.
Episodes
206 episodes
Thom Bell
Al and Jimmy talk about their great admiration for the work of Thom Bell, the Philly sound legend.
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Season 3
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Episode 59
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5:56
Elton, Producers, and Al's French Horn
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".
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Season 3
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Episode 58
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6:34
Jimi and Chicago
The guys start out talking about Jimi Hendrix which leads to other great guitar players, which leads to Terry Kath of Chicago.
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Season 3
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Episode 57
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9:05
Al the Arranger... and more.
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 56
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7:29
Big Chuck and Little Richard
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...
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Season 3
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Episode 55
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7:05
Hall of Fame and Stomach Sounds
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 54
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5:50
Downloads and the Music Biz
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 53
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6:01
Onward From Royal Teens
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 52
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6:09
Al and Jimmy 5: Brits vs Americans
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 i...
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Season 3
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Episode 51
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6:36
Al and Jimmy 4: Jimmy Reed
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.)
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Season 3
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Episode 50
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7:10
Al and Jimmy 3: 1650 Broadway
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 49
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6:49
Al and Jimmy 2: Icing on the Cake
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 48
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6:19
Al Kooper Meets Jimmy Vivino
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 47
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6:00
380,000 Songs
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 que...
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Season 3
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Episode 46
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8:38
Music of Bulgaria
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 hopefull...
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Season 3
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Episode 45
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10:34
AM vs FM Radio
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 eac...
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Season 3
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Episode 44
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7:45
Song Writing Teams
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 so...
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Season 3
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Episode 43
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7:58
Paul Griffin the Piano Player
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. A...
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Season 3
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Episode 42
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8:28
Queens Redux
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 41
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8:08
First Diamond Ring
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..
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Season 3
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Episode 40
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7:39
Silvertones Redux
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..
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Season 3
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Episode 39
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7:41
More Skynyrd and More
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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8:52
High Volume and Led Zep
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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9:03