Al Cook is an iconic blues-artist that made this wonderful music popular and well appreciated within the national bluesscene. He started out as a fan of the classic rock and roll era and represented the well known sound of the very first recordings by Elvis Presley on the famous „Sun“ releases. Al Cook anglified his real name of Alois Koch jr. and changed his personality to fit perfectly in his new image of a future rock and roll star. But 1964, at the time of his debut as a stage-artist, he flopped due to the fact, that the Beatles had conquered the global tastes in music and nearly nobody was going for the lifestyles of the fifties. Al Cook was completely dissatisfied with the sudden change of music and fashion. Triggered by an accidental chance to listen to the beauty of the archaic vintage-blues of the 20s and 30s, Al Cook decided to become a serious Bluesman and began to teach himself the many local Blues styles, that made history. At that time, just a handful of dedicated fans and specialists knew, what that stuff is all about. The majority of the Austrian population had no idea, what te blues really was. Al Cook had the guts and the undestroyable power, to carry this music to public presentation. Needless to say, that he played his music before disinterested audiences, until he was finally discovered by the late 60s folk-music revival.
It was in May 1970, when Al was invited to a recording session at Viennas Austrophon-studios, where the first real blues LP by a white non-american artist was released in continental Europe. After the presentation of the „Working Man Blues“ his popularity took off like sunrise and Al became even a well respected part of the popular-culture. A music promoter and radio-annoucer met Alexis Korner, the father of the british blues-scene and played the record and he was simply amazed and the Amadeo-record company planned another Longplay containing teamwork with John Mayall and Eric Clapton. But Al Cook wanted to stick to the the real blues and rejected the whole project, because he refused to let his music drown in tons of fuzz and psychodelic arrangements. Still today he is the keeper of the key to the traditional and authentic blues styles. The next LP „Slide Guitar Foolin“ made him the top-authentic „White King Of Black Blues“ as he was crowned by a german newspaper.
Al Cook was the first inspiration not only to the later upcoming national blues-scene, he partly influenced even popmusic-artists who remember him still today. When the last surviving original blues artist visited Austria during an successful European Tour, Al jammed with them and performed as a guest on their appearances. Among them were Roosevelt Sykes, Little Brother Montgomery, Johnny Shines and Honeyboy Edwards, who were even buddies of the legendary Robert Johnson. Though Al had been never to the U.S.A., he taught himself the southern blues language by listen permanently and carefully to the recordings of Interviews by the young Elvis Presley as well as to black bluesmen and their stories of ancient days in the fields. Then Al began to pen his own songs to keep the music alive.
In the spring of 1983, Al Cook was captured by a then popular Rockabilly revival and decided to hop the bandwagon, because he considered himself still a Rock ‘n’ Roll junkie, who wants to rock the joint. He did this for five years, but on the side, he remained the bluesman, that he always had been. In July 1984, he even recorded an Extended Play single in memory of Elvis beginnings, containing four self-penned Rockabilly pieces that he once composed for the King, but never sent it to Memphis. This time was the birth of Al Cooks Trio, consisting of Harry Hudson on drums and Mike Jerry on bass. Later on, pianist Charlie Lloyd completed the band and Al Cook decided to return to the blues. They are still performing after 42 years on stage.
Finally, 1993 became the year of Al Cooks independence from incompetent producers and expensive studios. With own recording equipment and a small privat studio, he was now free as a producer and when he started his teamwork with Wolf-Records, it still works as the perfect cooperative between artist and record-company.
On march 1st 2025, Al Cook celebrates not only 80 years of lifetime, but 60(+1) years on stage.
The show contains the best artists in the classic blues-field covering from archaic blues, old time barrelhouse piano even represent a considerable portion of 50s Rock and Roll Music.
Al Cook is embedded in high-class company….The Original Al Cook Blues Band, The Wizards of Blues (Erik Trauner & Siggi Fassl), Martin and Sabine Pyrker, Stefan Koss, Karin Daym, Arthur Fandl, Gerry Lülik, Fritz Weiss, The Crazy Boogie Men (Hudson & Lloyd with Mike Jerry) starring Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll Wayne Martin. As a feature, Miss Inga Lynch will perform a fine Barrelhouse Blues.
Have a rollicking and funny barrelhouse-time and let the good times roll.
Call for tickets: Schutzhaus Zukunft auf der Schmelz, 1150 Wien, Verlängerte Gunterstraße
(01) 982 0127
LONG LIVE THE BLUES.