Super Session: Bloomfield, Kooper and Stills

SoopaSuper groups are frequently as big a let down as they are incredible. The blues luminaries on Super Blues are ample proof of that. But sometimes a random assortment of odd talent works out to the benefit of listeners. There're some jazz recordings that work to that effect and in 1968, as rock was becoming more and more influenced by jazz tendencies - and vice versa - Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills set just under an hour's worth of music to tape. The reason for the two different guitar players on Super Session, though, is interesting.

As the recording sessions were split over two days - which were booked by Kooper - the keyboardist and Bloomfield set down five of the tracks comprising the first half (side one) of the album on day one. The following day, apparently, Bloomfield felt the urge of smack a bit too hard to deny and decided to cop some dirt in lieu of showing up to record. LA, though, probably was a pretty easy place to do such a thing, so in some ways, it's understandable. A junkie's gotta do what a junkie's gotta do.

The aggressive blues playing of Bloomfield - who, alongside Kooper fleshed out some Bob Dylan recordings earlier in the '60s - was a focal point of the first day's recordings. And as a last minute substitute, Stephen Stills from the Buffalo Springfield was asked to sit in. These two guitarists - Stills and Bloomfield - had rather different approaches to not just their instruments, but in their own individual aesthetics.

The first side of the album was given over to blues tracks peppered with enough guitar soloing to sate the most voracious acid eating long hair. But the true high point of that side was surely a feature for Kooper entitled "His Holy Modal Majesty." The nine minute track apes every style imaginable - and to a great degree, presaged some trappings of prog rock that would eventually become some bloated joke. Kooper's oddly intoned keyboard doesn't sound as it should, but is able to carry a pretty extended improvisation. And for that reason - in addition to the fact that the song is simply solid - Kooper seems to end up being the most important aspect of that side of the disc.

Side two - while still related to the first five tracks of the album - approaches rock in a different manner. Because Stills' inclusion, there is a smoother gloss to the preceedings. But, of course, amidst those extended improvs, there're a few inimitable moments. Beginning side two is a Dylan cover that Stills sings and even in this one act, the Springfield alum sets himself apart from Bloomfield.

Following that number is a song snagged from Donovan's songbook - again sung by Stills. Apart from the fact that he handles the mic relatively well in this situation, he's able to shift the tone of his guitar enough times to keep the extended work out interesting. But there're really too many highlights over both sides of this endeavor to aptly sum up. And it's really worth a few bucks if you find it in the used bin. If you look hard enough, though, you might be able to find it as a left over at your hippie neighbor's garage sale.