JOHN PRIMER
Al Cook: Moving Back To Alabama
Al Cook: Going Back To Memphis
Al Cook: Down In Boogie Alley
CD 120.976
Al Cook – Pioneer And Legend
Al Cook CDs on WOLF RECORDS:
CD 120.952: Victrola Blues
CD 120.959: White King Of Black Blues
CD 120.969: Down In Boggie Alley
CD 120.972: The Country Blues
CD 120.973: The Birmingham Jam
CD 120.975: The Barrelhouse Man
CD 120.976: Pioneer And Legend
AL COOK meets AMADEUS 2008
The rental of Amadeus Austrian Music Award takes place on the 18th April this year in the Viennese Gasometer. We have the honour to say, that one of our artists – Al Cook – is nominated under the 5 best of the category “ Jazz/Blues/Folk album of the year – national”. The nominated album is “The Barrelhouse Man”.
This year the Amadeus takes place for the ninth time and is one of the most significant honourings for Austrian musicians. The rental will transfer live in the Austrian private TV transmitter PULS 4 and on the next week-end a special is shown at ProSieben Austria.
Five nominated per category are determined from the annual evaluation of the official Austrian sales hit parade ”Ö3 Austria top 40” that means the music fans decide on the assignment of most prices directly.
On the 10th April, 2008 there is a presentation of Wolf Records to the honour of the nomination in the Fernwärme Vienna. There will also be an appearance of Al Cook and his band here.
We are proud that Al Cook work and produce with us.
Links:
Biography
Austria may be rated as one of the most unlikely countries to line up with a colorful blues scene, but its founder celebrated 2009 his 45th anniversary as the hardest of the hardcore bluesmen. It was on October 17, 1964, when the 19 year old Al Cook entered the stage to make it as a Rock and Roll singer and accidentally slipped into the world of vintage country blues by listening to imported audio-tapes, he lent from a next door neighbor. After months of day-by-day listening, Al Cook decided, that this was the perfect vehicle to consolidate his artistry. In fact, there had’nt been anybody to teach the young, aspiring musician, how to play the blues and he had to train himself, until his playing sound halfway suitable.
Al Cook inhaled all the early blues-styles available at that time and within a year, he could execute all the techniques from Blind Lemon Jefferson to Robert Johnson. But the path to acceptable blues singing was a rocky road to walk, because Al Cook was yet sticking too deep in the Rock and Roll style of Elvis Presley, whom he idolized well into the 80s. To wash out his viennese accent was another hard way to go. Meanwhile, the music was dominated by psychedelic rockers like Jimi Hendrix and Cream, but Al Cook did not give a damn about it, pursuing his career as the first, who dared to play pure country-blues. Specializing in the delta-style slide guitar techniques, he soon became to be widely appreciated by a steady growing scene of listeners and began making records and playing concerts.
In the 70s, the name of Al Cook even became a household-term for exzellent blues artistry, but he was never granted to play festivals outside Austria. Even when he was rated as the most authentic white blues performer. (Jazz Podium, March 1974 issue, Germany)
But the work of Al Cook influenced most of the blues musicians in his country and though he is often criticized as a controversial personality, ignorant to pop-styled electric blues, Al Cook is still a well respected celebrity, bearing the Golden Cross of Honor, presented by the Mayor of Vienna in 2006.