You might think it reasonable if the seemingly ageless Al Kooper, having putting a definitive stamp on American popular music with his taste and grace for 50 years, might slow down, or even call it quits in the face of mounting health problems and major record company indifference.

If you thought that, you would indeed be wrong, as the redoubtable musician celebrates his milestone with the release of “White Chocolate,” perhaps the finest album of his distinguished career, via his web site, his induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame among a veritable who’s who of similar talents and influences, and the sale an updated edition of his hilarious and poignant autobiography, all climaxing with a celebration of his 65th birthday and 50th anniversary in the music business at B.B. King’s Club in New York on February 7.

And, if that’s not enough, Sony Records is planning an iTunes release of a box set of his music on February 3rd. That project, to be called “50/50,” will celebrate Kooper’s half century of innovation and influence in the music business with 50 handpicked, remastered songs from his solo albums, predominantly from the years 1968 through 1973, including many songs that have never been on CD in the United States, as well as six unreleased tracks.

Not too shabby for a guy who has been dealing with a brain tumor, failing eyesight resulting from an eye stroke, and ongoing diabetes and insomnia, conditions that, alone, just might make a lesser man slow down, if not stop in his tracks. Yet, Kooper, in the face of it all, seems to play down his health with a blizzard of great music, good news, and a positive outlook.

“In the words of David Byrne,” he said in a recent interview with Sound Waves,”It’s the ‘same as it ever was’...."

Slow down? Not Al Kooper. And, excuse the pun, but “White Chocolate” is the musical icing on his 50-year cake, a logical musical extension from and perfect compliment to the equally terrific “Black Coffee,” which was released in 2005. Together, “Coffee” and “Chocolate” clearly show that Kooper, while getting older, is certainly still getting better.

“I was intimidated by “Black Coffee” when I started ‘White Chocolate,’” Kooper said. “So I took my time, picked the right songs, and worked much more carefully on “White Chocolate’ than any album I had ever made. To me, it shows. The fan reaction has been great so far.”

Indeed it does show. For his fans, Kooper’s recorded work has always been an exquisite stew of the soul, style and depth of the best American music, and “White Chocolate” continues in that long, excellent vein. Playing his usual myriad instruments, producing and arranging all the tracks, and accompanied by his current touring band, the Funky Faculty, Kooper has created an exceptional record that stands alongside any and all of his long and varied career.

And, harking back to his start in New York City in the late 50s and early 60s, Kooper enlisted the assistance of Gerry Goffin, one of the originators of the Brill Building sound (which, as Kooper points out in his autobiography, actually, in his time, emanated from 1650 Broadway and not the Brill Building proper) where Kooper cut his musical teeth at the beginning of his career, to co-write two of the songs on “Chocolate.” The collaboration, while in one sense reaching back to the early days of his career, according to Kooper, shows that great music can, in the right hands, germinate from more modern writing and recording techniques.

“I never even met him (Goffin) before,” Kooper recalled. “He's always been one of my idols and getting the chance to write with him was a big thing in my life. We wrote two songs by mail and e-mail, with a little phone thrown in. We didn’t meet till after that when I toured in California.”

In addition, Kooper’s soulful side (that description may be the ultimate Al Kooper redundancy) is naturally all over “Chocolate,” particularly permeating the funky “Staxability,” a tribute to the seminal Memphis sound that has influenced so many musicians and writers, including Kooper, over the years. What makes this track so special is the backing of guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist ‘Duck’ Dunn, from Booker T & The MGs, the virtual Stax house band in the label’s hey day.

The tune, as it is, carries on a tradition that began with Kooper’s cover of the MGs’ most-well known hit, “Green Onions,” which now, ironically, has become a Kooper classic in itself.

Yet, despite his obvious appeal to the Stax sound, Kooper has an affinity for the Motown sound, as well.

“I love them equally,” he said. “Stax is more below the belt and Motown adds the intellectuality of more complex chords and instrumentation. They are both equally as satisfying, however.”

“White Chocolate,” as well as its predecessor, “Black Coffee,” continues a remarkable musical journey for Kooper. With a lineage and legacy longer than your arm, Kooper has put an extraordinary stamp on popular music of the last half of the 20th century, be it co-writing “This Diamond Ring;” playing organ on Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone;” merging jazz with rock and r&b with Blood, Sweat & Tears; virtually creating the super group concept with “Super Session” and its progeny; playing on sessions with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, the Who, and the Rolling Stones; discovering and producing artists as varied as Shuggie Otis, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nils Lofgren and the Tubes, and, as “White Chocolate” so aptly shows, creating a stimulating and interesting solo career.

Kooper’s impact on popular music was recently acknowledged with his induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame, in Nashville, alongside the aforementioned Booker T & the MGs, the Memphis Horns, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the Crickets, Duane Eddy and Billy Sherill. Given what he has accomplished in his career, and the direction it has taken, and the great music he’s created, the induction is much more satisfying to Kooper than his long-ignored, yet undeniable, candidacy for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“I despise the Rock and Roll ‘Hall of Shame’, he noted. “The complete spirit of rock and roll is gone because they induct jazzers like Miles Davis, dancers like Madonna, and so many people who sell records, but (who) don’t play rock and roll. It's a complete political analogy with (Rolling Stone publisher) Jann Wenner as ‘Dubya’.”

And, it may be a somewhat frustrating, if not difficult, time for him, without big label support and with health issues to battle on a daily basis, Kooper seems to have a optimistic and resolute spin on the situation, exclusively selling his new record (along with a special deal for seven demos of the songs), the updated edition of his book, and some back catalog on his web site, a place where he consistently interacts with fans, offering semi-monthly blogs, recommendations for new music he’s heard (and, with his ears, you know you better go listen), and answering fans’ e-mails. In addition, he stills tours with the Funky Faculty, and, at times, solo, including an annual January tour in California, followed by the birthday celebration in New York, and hopefully, he says, some other gigs.

“It's difficult for acts like me to tour the US today because of economics and gas prices,” he said. “(And) artists, unless they are already huge sellers (and I am not) cannot increase their sales much by putting out their own output. It is way too expensive.

“ Many people have no idea my album even exists because I cannot afford a publicist after pressing up copies for my web store. The only place you can buy a physical CD is on my website,” he added.

Yet, despite all the personal and professional hassles, the release of “White Chocolate” hails another major step in the career of a seminal music figure whose impact just cannot be denied, and, armed with all his plans for the new year, it’s clear that Al Kooper will keep on going.

“Ahhhh, it's just great to be remembered for something other than bombing the World Trade Center or shooting Jack Ruby,” he said.