Al Kooper Al's Big Deal/Unclaimed Freight CD

As an anthology, the humorously titled Al's Big Deal/Unclaimed Freight captures the stylistic essence of what has made Al Kooper such a vital addition to rock & roll. Although somewhat superseded in the digital domain by Rare + Well Done: The Greatest & Most Obscure Recordings, this title was available almost two decades prior to that 2001 two-CD set. This collection delves into Kooper's solo canon as well as his ensemble work with the Child Is Father to the Man version of Blood, Sweat & Tears. There is also a healthy sampling of his super sessions and collaborations with such luminaries as Michael Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, Shuggie Otis, and even Bob Dylan. The material is split into the self-explanatory subheadings of "The Songs" and "The Jams." The former incorporates shorter and more focused standout performances such as "I Can't Quit Her" and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" from BS&T. There are highlights from Kooper's solo discs as well. These include "Brand New Day" and the haunting cover of John Prine's "Sam Stone," as well as the respective title tracks from the LPs I Stand Alone and New York City (You're a Woman). Incidentally, the latter track is available here in a remixed form exclusive to this package. "The Jams" reveal the amazing instrumental prowess that Kooper brings to his collaborative efforts. As a musician, his ability to interact and improvise are no more evident than on "Albert's Shuffle" and "Season of the Witch" from the definitive Super Session album. However, at the center is Kooper's uncanny ability to support guitarists Stills and Bloomfield. In essence, he aurally corrals their sinuous and soulful fretwork with his tastefully pervasive organ leads. The 1989 CD pressing of Al's Big Deal/Unclaimed Freight omitted the tracks "Without Her," " "My Days Are Numbered," and "So Much Love" and added "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" -- which was concurrently not available on CD elsewhere. ~ Lindsay Planer

A two CD set of seventeen titles from the career of the hugely influential artist/producer Al Kooper or his career to 1975! Starting with five titles from the first (and by far the best) by Blood Sweat & Tears and moving onto two from “Super Session” featuring Mike Bloomfield and Steve Stills and a Bob Dylan track from “New Morning”. CD2 kicks off with two tracks from the “Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper” and a selection of titles from his solo LP’s all selected by Al Kooper himself.

Recording information: Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA.

Photographers: Emerson-Loew; Jim Marshall .

Unknown Contributor Role: Ken Scott.

Arrangers: Fred Lipsius; Al Kooper.

Personnel: Al Kooper (vocals, guitar, organ, Mellotron, keyboards, string synthesizer, vibraphone, 6-string bass); Bob Dylan (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); Bobby Colomby (vocals, drums, background vocals); Linda November, Albertine Robinson, Melba Moore, Patti Austin, The Blossoms, Valerie Simpson, Hilda Harris, Tasha Thomas, Eileen Gilbert (vocals, background vocals); Paul Simon (vocals); Steve Katz, Barry Bailey (guitar, electric guitar); Al Gorgoni (guitar, gut-string guitar); J.R. Cobb, Jerry Kennedy, Michael Bloomfield, Shuggie Otis, Stephen Stills, Wayne Moss, Ron Cornelius, Charlie Daniels (guitar); Charlie McCoy (harmonica); Fred Lipsius (saxophone, alto saxophone); Jerry Weiss, Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn, horns); Dick Halligan (trombone, horns); Dean Daughtry, John Simon (piano); Barry Goldberg (electric piano, keyboards); Eddie Hoh, Kenneth A. Buttrey, Rick Marotta, Robert Nix, Roger Pope, Russ Kunkel, Skip Prokop, Wells Kelly (drums).

Liner Note Authors: Hugh Fielder; Arthur Levy .