Editing Al Kooper (section)

==Career==
===Professional debut===
Kooper's first professional work was as a 14-year-old guitarist in [[the Royal Teens]], best known for their 1958 [[ABC Records]] [[novelty song]] "[[Short Shorts]]" (although Kooper did not play on that recording).<ref>[http://www.furious.com/perfect/alkooper.html Friedman, Tyler, "Al Kooper: An Appreciation"], ''Perfect Sound Forever'', April 2007)</ref> In 1960, he teamed up with songwriters Bob Brass and [[Irwin Levine]] to write and record demos for Sea-Lark Music Publishing. The trio's biggest hits were "[[This Diamond Ring]]", recorded by [[Gary Lewis and the Playboys]], and "[[I Must Be Seeing Things]]", recorded by [[Gene Pitney]] (both 1965). When he was 21, Kooper moved to [[Greenwich Village]] in [[Manhattan]].

===With Bob Dylan===
He first performed with [[Bob Dylan]] playing the [[Hammond organ]] riffs on "[[Like a Rolling Stone]]".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Luhrssen |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phsIDgAAQBAJ |title=Encyclopedia of Classic Rock |last2=Larson |first2=Michael |date=2017-02-24 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-3514-8 |language=en}}</ref> He had been invited to watch the recording by producer [[Tom Wilson (producer)|Tom Wilson]]. In those recording sessions, Kooper met and befriended [[Mike Bloomfield]], whose guitar playing he admired. He worked with Bloomfield for several years. In 1965, Kooper played with Dylan in concert and played Hammond organ with Dylan at the [[Newport Folk Festival]] and in the recording studio in 1965 and 1966. He played organ once again with Dylan during his 1981 world tour.

===The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears===
[[File:Al Kooper organist circa 1966.jpg|thumb|Kooper with the Blues Project, {{circa|1966}}]]
Kooper joined [[the Blues Project]] as their keyboardist in 1965. He left the band shortly before their [[concert|gig]] at the [[Monterey Pop Festival]] in 1967, although he did play a solo set, as evidenced by [[The Criterion Collection]] Blu-ray extended edition of the event.<ref name = "Criterion Collection Outakes">
{{cite web
 | first1      = D.A.
 | last1       = Pennebaker
 | title       = MONTEREY POP Outtakes: Al Kooper
 | website     = The Criterion Collection
 | url         = https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/outtakes-al-kooper
 | access-date = 14 January 2024
 | location    = New York
 | date        = 2017
 }}</ref> He formed [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]] in 1967, leaving due to creative differences in 1968, after the release of the group's first album, ''[[Child Is Father to the Man]]''.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years 2">{{cite book |last=Tobler |first=John |title=NME Rock 'N' Roll Years |publisher=[[Reed International Books Ltd]] |location=London |edition=1st |year=1992 |page=232 |id=CN 5585}}</ref> He recorded ''[[Super Session]]'' with Bloomfield and [[Stephen Stills]] in 1968,<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years 3">{{cite book |last=Tobler |first=John |title=NME Rock 'N' Roll Years |publisher=Reed International Books Ltd |location=London |edition=1st |year=1992 |page=259 |id=CN 5585}}</ref> and in 1969 he collaborated with 15-year-old guitarist [[Shuggie Otis]] on the album ''[[Kooper Session]]''. In 1972, he rejoined The Blues Project at a charity concert promoted by [[Bruce Blakeman]] at [[Valley Stream Central High School]].

===Other work===
====As musician====
Kooper has played on hundreds of [[Gramophone record|records]], including ones by [[the Rolling Stones]], [[B.B. King]], [[the Who]], [[the Jimi Hendrix Experience]], [[Alice Cooper]], and [[Cream (band)|Cream]]. On occasion he overdubbed his own efforts, as on ''[[The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper]]'' and other albums, under the pseudonym "Roosevelt Gook".<ref>{{cite web |title=Tom Rush's "Take a Little Walk with Me" Liner Notes |url=http://www.richieunterberger.com/takealittle.html |url-status=live |website=Richieunterberger.com |access-date=November 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128120655/http://richieunterberger.com/takealittle.html |archive-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref>

====As record producer====
In 1969, Kooper produced, arranged, and conducted the album ''Appaloosa'', a "folk-baroque" style of music that combined rock and classical. Among other artists who were all arranging folk-oriented material with classical-influenced orchestration were [[Judy Collins]], [[Donovan]], [[Tim Hardin]], and [[Tom Rush]]. Kooper was joined by Boston musicians John Parker Compton, singer and acoustic guitarist, Robin Batteau on violin, Eugene Rosov on cello, and David Reiser on electric bass. Contributing to the album was saxophonist [[Fred Lipsius]] and Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer [[Bobby Colomby]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Liner Notes for Appaloosa's "Appaloosa" |url=http://www.richieunterberger.com/appaloosa.html |website=Richieunterberger.com |access-date=April 6, 2021}}</ref> After moving to [[Atlanta]] in 1972, he discovered the band [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]], and produced and performed on their first three albums, including the [[singles (music)|singles]] "[[Sweet Home Alabama (song)|Sweet Home Alabama]]" and "[[Free Bird]]". In 1975 he produced the debut album of [[the Tubes]].

====TV scores====
Kooper wrote the scores for the TV series ''[[Crime Story (U.S. TV series)|Crime Story]]'' and the film ''[[The Landlord]]'', as well as several made-for-television movies. He was the musical force behind many pop tunes, including "You're the Lovin' End", for ''[[The Banana Splits]]'', a children's television program.

====Studio====
In the late 1980s, Kooper had his own dedicated keyboard studio in the historic Sound Emporium recording studio in Nashville, next to [[RCA Studio B|Studio B]].

====Rock Bottom Remainders====
Kooper's status as a published author enabled him to join (and act as musical director of) the [[Rock Bottom Remainders]], a band made up of writers including [[Dave Barry]], [[Barbara Kingsolver]], [[Stephen King]], [[Amy Tan]], and [[Matt Groening]].

====New Music For Old People====
Kooper wrote a column called "New Music For Old People" for the online publication The Morton Report<ref>{{cite web | last=Sigman | first=Michael | title=Amazing Playlists From A Legend Who Worked With Dylan And The Stones | website=HuffPost | date=2012-06-25 | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/for-al-kooper-everything_b_1621242 | access-date=2024-12-28}}</ref> from April 2014 to April 2015. This later led to a radio show by the same name, which began in October 2018, for Martha's Vineyard community radio station [[WVVY-LP]]. The first 11 editions can be found online.

====Magazine writer====
Kooper profiled [[Steve Martin]] for [[Crawdaddy (magazine)|Crawdaddy]] Magazine in 1977.

====Kooperkast====

Kooper's podcast, ''Kooperkast'', started in late 2020. Hosted by webmaster Jon Sachs, Kooper discusses his experiences in his more than 60 years in the music industry, including his solo albums, Bob Dylan and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He answers questions that can be submitted on the Kooperkast page on his website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Website of Al Kooper |url=https://alkooper.com/kooperkast.html |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=alkooper.com}}</ref>

===Honors, awards, and legacy===
[[File:Kooper at keyboards 2013.jpg|thumb|240px|Kooper celebrating his 68th birthday at the Regatta Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 4, 2012]]
In May 2001, Kooper was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from [[Berklee College of Music]] in Boston.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/elvin-jones-al-kooper-receive-honorary-doctorates/375416|title=Elvin Jones, Al Kooper Receive Honorary Doctorates - Mixonline|website=Mixonline.com|date=October 8, 2001 |access-date=October 24, 2017}}</ref> He taught songwriting and recording production there. He plays weekend concerts with his bands the ReKooperators and the Funky Faculty. In 2008, he participated in the production of the album ''Psalngs'',<ref>{{cite web |title=The Music of John Lefebvre |url=https://johnlefebvre.com/music/ |url-status=dead |access-date=April 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307044235/http://www.psalngs.com/press/releases/psalngs-pr.html |archive-date=March 7, 2010}}</ref> the debut release of Canadian musician [[John Lefebvre]].

Kooper was inducted into the [[Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum]], in [[Nashville]], in 2008.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |title=Kid Rock, Keith Richards Help Induct Crickets, Muscle Shoals into Musicians Hall of Fame |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kid-rock-keith-richards-help-induct-crickets-muscle-shoals-into-musicians-hall-of-fame-20081029 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 29, 2008 |access-date=April 19, 2014 |archive-date=October 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008041851/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kid-rock-keith-richards-help-induct-crickets-muscle-shoals-into-musicians-hall-of-fame-20081029 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2005, [[Martin Scorsese]] produced a documentary titled ''[[No Direction Home: Bob Dylan]]'' for the PBS American Masters Series, in which Kooper's contributions are recognized.

In 2023, Kooper was selected for induction into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in the Award for Musical Excellence category.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Graff |first1=Gary |title=Al Kooper Is 'Quite Surprised and Amused' by 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/al-kooper-2023-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-2023-induction-1235320768/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=8 May 2023 |date=3 May 2023}}</ref>