Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68

Performer: Al Kooper
Artist: Johnny Winter
Producer: Al Kooper
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Al Kooper (vocals, piano, organ, keyboards); Johnny Winter, Mike Bloomfield (vocals, guitar); Paul Harris (piano); Jerry Jemmott (bass); Johnny Cresci (drums). Recorded live on December 13 & 14, 1968. Includes liner notes by Al Kooper. At first glance, you might mistake this for unused material from the same late-1968 concerts that supplied the material for The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper. But no, this was recorded about two and a half months later at a different venue, and with a different backup band (Paul Harris on piano, Jerry Jemmott on bass, and John Cresci on drums). There's still some similarity to the repertoire, though, and a good deal of similarity to the music, which is blues-rock with a late-'60s improvisational heaviness. And to be honest, it hasn't dated well, the undisputed instrumental talents of Bloomfield and Kooper notwithstanding. Why? Well, little original material was offered, the only song falling into that category being Bloomfield's "(Please) Tell Me Partner," a routine and (at ten minutes) overlong blues. The soul-pop cover "Together Till the End of Time" comes off the best, in part because of its relative (four-and-a-half-minute) economy, and the cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "One Way Out" isn't bad. But the band isn't too tight (particularly the rhythm section), the lead vocals aren't strong, and the interpretations (including a nine-minute "Season of the Witch," which Kooper and Bloomfield had done on their popular Super Session album) are too long and not terribly imaginative. This disc does preserve a historic moment of sorts, when Bloomfield introduces then-unknown guest guitarist Johnny Winter, who takes some of the guitar duties on "It's My Own Fault." This was the appearance that, according to Kooper's liner notes, alerted Columbia to Winter, after which the label quickly offered him a contract. ~ Richie Unterberger At first glance, you might mistake this for unused material from the same late-1968 concerts that supplied the material for The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper. But no, this was recorded about two and a half months later at a different venue, and with a different backup band (Paul Harris on piano, Jerry Jemmott on bass, and John Cresci on drums). There's still some similarity to the repertoire, though, and a good deal of similarity to the music, which is blues-rock with a late-'60s improvisational heaviness. And to be honest, it hasn't dated well, the undisputed instrumental talents of Bloomfield and Kooper notwithstanding. Why? Well, little original material was offered, the only song falling into that category being Bloomfield's "(Please) Tell Me Partner," a routine and (at ten minutes) overlong blues. The soul-pop cover "Together 'Till the End of Time" comes off the best, in part because of its relative (four-and-a-half-minute) economy, and the cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "One Way Out" isn't bad. But the band isn't too tight, particularly the rhythm section; the lead vocals aren't strong; and the interpretations (including a nine-minute "Season of the Witch," which Kooper and Bloomfield had done on their popular Super Session album) are too long and not terribly imaginative. This disc does preserve a historic moment of sorts, when Bloomfield introduces then-unknown guest guitarist Johnny Winter, who takes some of the guitar duties on "It's My Own Fault." This was the appearance that, according to Kooper's liner notes, alerted Columbia to Winter, after which the label quickly offered him a contract. ~ Richie Unterberger

Had Al Kooper only ever played the universally recognizable organ part in Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," his place in rock history would be assured. But Kooper's credits as a session player (on guitar and organ), producer, and songwriter are much more extensive. In addition to touring with Dylan in 1965, he also played with Mike Bloomfield, the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Cream, and the Who, and formed the bands The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat, & Tears. As a producer for Columbia Records Kooper signed the Zombies, and later Lynyrd Skynyrd, whose first three records he also produced. Kooper has appeared on hundreds of albums, and his original music, such as Blood, Sweat, & Tears' debut, THE CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN, and SUPER SESSION (featuring Stephen Stills) are considered classics by rock intelligentsia.

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