Al Kooper (born
Alan Peter Kuperschmidt, February 5, 1944) is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing
Blood, Sweat & Tears (although he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity), providing studio support for
Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and bringing together guitarists
Mike Bloomfield and
Stephen Stills to record the
Super Session album. He has had a successful solo career since then, written music for film soundtracks, and has lectured in musical composition. He continues to perform live.