Editing Blood, Sweat & Tears (section)

== Al Kooper era ==
[[Al Kooper]] (keyboards, vocals), [[Bobby Colomby]] (drums), [[Steve Katz (musician)|Steve Katz]] (guitar, vocals), and [[Jim Fielder]] (bass) played at the Village Theatre (later renamed [[Fillmore East]]) in New York City on September 16, 1967, with [[James Cotton Blues Band]] opening.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} Kooper was the initial singer and musical director, having insisted on that position based on his work with [[the Blues Project]], his previous band with Katz.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=149}}</ref>

[[Fred Lipsius]] (alto sax, piano) joined the others a month later. A few more shows were played before Lipsius recruited horn players [[Dick Halligan]], [[Randy Brecker]], and [[Jerry Weiss (musician)|Jerry Weiss]]. The octet debuted at the [[Cafe Au Go Go]] on November 17–19, 1967, then played [[The Scene (performance venue)|The Scene]] the following week. Audiences were impressed with the innovative fusion of contemporary styles.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} After signing to [[Columbia Records]], the group released ''[[Child Is Father to the Man]]'' which reached number 47 on the [[Billboard 200|Billboard Pop Albums]] chart in the United States.

Artistic differences quickly developed. Colomby and Katz wanted to hire a stronger lead vocalist. This led to the departure of Kooper in April 1968.<ref name=VH1/> Prior to leaving Kooper had already arranged some songs that would be on the second BS&T album.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/blood-sweat-and-tears/biography |title=Blood, Sweat and Tears Biography   |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=24 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.billboard.com/artist/290885/blood-sweat-tears/biography |title= Blood, Sweat & Tears - Biography  |magazine= Billboard |access-date= 24 December 2013 |archive-date= 3 July 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150703230659/http://www.billboard.com/artist/290885/blood-sweat-tears/biography |url-status= dead }}</ref> He was soon hired as a [[record producer]] at Columbia. Trumpeters Randy Brecker and Jerry Weiss also left and were replaced by [[Lew Soloff]] and Chuck Winfield.<ref name="Larkin"/> Brecker joined [[Horace Silver]]'s band. Jerry Weiss went on to start the similarly styled group Ambergris.