STREETNOISE

Despite some future weak LP's or mainstream/cashing machine approximations, there's no way to ignore the fact that Brian Auger is a master groover and one of the first to have successfully plunged in Fusion (taken in its wider meaning) waters; on the other hand Julie Driscoll appears as having always functioned as a creative/inspirational muse for Auger, in that all their collaborations bore tasteful fruits; that said this album is in my opinion here to prove it! Backed by Clive Thacker on drums/percussion and Dave Ambrose on basses, guitars and vocal help, BA and JD lend their keyboards and vocals energetic, soulful and unmistakably personal skills to an interesting and varied batch of songs ] The four tracks written by B.A are pulsating Jazz infected grooves with a classic theme in an Emerson vein (Tropic?), full instrumentals with flashy organ work, Motown infected swinging Jazz (Ellis Is?) or Funky grooves (Finally found?), or have our man singing behind his acoustic piano in melancholic ways (Looking in the Eye?); On her own tracks J.D strums or plucks her acoustic guitar in a poignant, three parted, politically charged manifesto against "Czechoslovakia" invasion, in a piercing short solo piece (Word about colour) or with ravishing, long and complex vocal performances, either solely backed by the organ (on the traditional tune arranged by her, "When I was young") or by her acoustic guitar. A similar high level is obtained in the other half of the tracks, all very personalized covers ( a topic where they excel), of almost as many songwriters/artists: in short, there's a 2 speeds piano driven Gospel rendition of Nina Simone's "Take me to?", a peculiar, tension mounting version of the Doors "Light my Fire" with a classy, glassy organ work, a Jazz infected R&B cover of Richie Havens's "Indian?", which asserts it self as a template for much of the sound of bands like Affinity and Gospel and Soul tinged treatments, filled with stunning organ work, of the Rado/Ragni/mcDermot songwriters trio "Let the sunshine in" (yes the one from Woodstock) and "I've got Life; Written by Ambrose, who's in charge of the lead vocal too, "In search of the Sun" is fascinatingly reminiscent of Pete Brown's Piblokto style, where as the band and singer are strongly engaged on the mid tempo acoustic version of Miles's "All Blues" and close the album with an heartfelt, punchy rendition of Laura Nyro's "Save the Country" which is better than the original in my opinion. 5.0 this is one of Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll's best.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to Lobster77
• Report this review (#3178691)
• Buy BRIAN AUGER music online with PA partners
• Show all BRIAN AUGER MP3/Stream
• Go to BRIAN AUGER page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Streetnoise page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for BRIAN AUGER related discussions