The original jazz rock ensemble, along with Chicago, BS&T were the brainchild of Al Kooper who formed the band with seven other members: Jim Fielder, Fred Lipsius, Randy Brecker, Jerry Weiss, Dick Halligan, Steve Katz, and Bobby Colomby, recording the critically acclaimed but commercially disappointing Child Is Father to the Man.

After a lineup change which saw the departure of Kooper and the addition of David Clayton-Thomas, the band became a critical and commercial heavyweight, winning Album of the Year for their second record, Blood, Sweat & Tears, which spawned hit singles like “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Spinning Wheel,“ and “And When I Die.”

The group played at Woodstock and continued to release several albums into the 1970s before disbanding, reforming several times since.