BRIAN AUGER
Jazz Rock/Fusion • United Kingdom
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Born July 18, 1939 and growing up in London, BRIAN AUGER began taking notice of his parent's player piano at the age of three; "After a while I noticed that I was able to recognize the patterns in all the notes... I began to copy the notes [and] I was actually able to copy these melodies", he recalls. After the Auger home was bombed and destroyed in 1944, Brian found other pianos and was determined to keep playing. In addition to the British and American pop music of the time, he also became fascinated with jazz artists like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and other popular jazz coming in through Armed Forces radio. Soon the great modern jazz pianists captured him, Oscar Peterson, Hampton Hawes, Bill Evans, Red Garland, Victor Feldman, and McCoy Tyner.
By eighteen, his musical prowess began attracting attention and in 1962 he formed a trio with bassist Rick Laird, Phil Knorra on drums, adding a young John McLaughlin and saxophonist Glen Hughes. 1964 saw AUGER winning a Melody Maker jazz poll, soon becoming in-demand among London's music scene. Though a fan of rock (the BEATLES in particular), AUGER was more interested in the technical side of playing and after hearing JIMMY SMITH on Hammond organ, he knew he had to have one. In November 1964, he formed the TRINITY with drummer Micky Waller and bassist Ricky Brown. By 1965, English blues singer LONG JOHN BALDRY had put together a band with AUGER and with the addition of Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll and guitarist Vic Briggs, the band STEAMPACKET emerged and lasted almost a year playing the mix of R&B, blues-jazz and rock that would cement AUGER's reputation. September 1966 saw a rebirth of the TRINITY that included Driscoll and Briggs, guitarist Gary Boyle, bassist Roger Sutton and Clive Thacker on drums. "The idea of the Trinity", he reflects, "was a combination of Blues, Mowtown and Messengers". They released a debut in 1967 titled "Open" from which a Bob Dylan cover reached #5 and put the LP on the charts. "Definitely What" was an instrumental record released in 1968, and "Streetnoise" that same year, this time with Driscoll on vocals. The outfit disbanded finally in 1970 after the flop "Befour" but never one to give up, 'Aug' formed OBLIVION EXPRESS with Jim Mullen on guitars, Barry Dean on bass and drummer Robbie Macintosh. After several good jazz-rock fusion albums, a new version of OBLIVION EXPRESS recorded "Closer To It", the band toured the U.S. and the album landed on both the R&B...read more
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![]() | Tiger Featuring Trinity, Julie Driscol & The Steampacket ATOM 2011 | $5.94 $4.67 (used) |
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BRIAN AUGER Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by Progfan97402

Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by Progfan97402

Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer

Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by
apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

With ''Second wind'' Brian Auger's Oblivion Express would find again their way into efficient and tricky music, the album walks exactly on the thin line between the style of the debut and the somewhat flat offerings of ''A better land''.The accesible influences and playful parts are still present in a great number of funky and Soul influences, but the music is more professional, recollecting the jazzy flavors of the debut and eventually delivering a decent amalgam of intricate and more poppy tunes.Auger shines with his work on Hammond organ, while his piano moments are coming straight out of a Jazz band, the supporting group is always consistent with some muddy bass lines, smooth guitar moves and solid drumming.The album balances dangerously between in-your-face organ-drenched paces and the jazzy abnormalities, where the pieces begin as typically song-structured and end up being a storm of piano and organ tortuting.Alex Ligertwood is definitely a welcome addition on vocals, delivering a nuance of a more rockin' attitude, moreover strengthened by the mass of rhythmic parts.A couple of tracks are still weak, dominated by dated psych and Pop leftovers of the 60's, but the bulk is going the right way with a nice sense for instrumental originality and vocal balance.
Back on track for Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, a sweet little album of jazzy, psych and Fusion elements, recommended for all lovers of organ-based light Prog/Psych.
Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer

Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by Anon-E-Mouse

So, what's new here? Well, there is a bit and that's not always a plus. This release appears to have been designed to promote his very talented children while daddy provides a familiar background.
Daughter SAVANNAH has a sweet, endearing voice and sings in the finest tradition of female Jazz vocal. Son KARMA AUGER on drums is on his way to challenge PIERRE MOERLEN, or BILL BRUFORD when it comes to sharp, tight delivery on the skins.
So, what's wrong with this album? Nothing much really, but nothing much right, either. A family promotion designed not to offend, but to appeal to the masses in a compromised way. Some of the tunes are little more than elevator music and when it comes to the horns, it appears that AUGER had sacrificed his identity in order to gain recognition by the US music market. Such attempt by many have failed "big time" before and AUGER's approach is but another casualty.
Enjoyable, but hardly essential work. .
.
Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by Cactus Choir

Recorded at Advision in 1970 with Eddie (ELP and Yes) Offord producing, something of the Spirit of Prog appears to infuse Mr Auger, even to the extent of doing a couple of nifty classical interpretations of Faure's Pavane and Albinoni's Adagio in his signature groovy jazz-rock style.
Befour is largely made up of non-original covers, which might be taken by some as a lack of inspiration, but what amazing covers several of them are. The two real standouts are a version of No Time To Live that trumps Traffic's original for existential angst with wonderful vocals from guitarist Gary Boyle and brilliant Hammond work from Auger. It is matched by Maiden Voyage, where the transition from the jazz piano and horns of Herbie Hancock's original to organ and guitar works wonderfully well. Mr Auger once again just totally rocks the Hammond on this track, and really was on top form when this album was made. The one group original, Just You Just Me, has a cool groove and excellent vocals from Auger.
Try to get the infinitely superior cover art with the group reflected in rainwater, which far better reflects the mood of the album than the more common flowers and group pics version. Befour reminds me of a rainy autumn day in London - I quite like rainy autumn days in London and I love this album. Four and a half stars rounded up to five.
Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by
b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by
apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

What a huge dissapointment to see this great band after a nice debut turning the sound into more Pop, Psych Rock and R'n'B sounds.Generally ''A better land'' can be considered as a melodic Psychedelic/Pop Rock album with no connections to the early Jazz/Fusion style of Oblivion Express.Full of delicate vocals, smooth piano lines, melodic guitar work with jazzy touches and a laid-back drum/bass support, the album is an easy-going travel with tendency towards more emotional songwriting and no signs of technical or virtuosic passages.The music is very mellow, the tracks are simplistic and the atmosphere remains soft all the way.Auger's monster organ sounds are totally absent except for a couple notable solos, his Hammond now plays the secondary role of filling the sound in most of the tracks and the lack of his energetic runs are more than evident.
Unimpressive jazzy melodic Psych Rock.Questions about this sudden turn in sound remain until today.Only for archivists, collectors and die-hard fans of Psychedelic/Jazz Rock.
Brian Auger Jazz Rock/Fusion
Review by
apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

Side A contains some of the best early-70's Jazz-Rock to be heard, both the short ''Dragon Song'' and the long ''Total eclipse'' are pure Jazz-Rock/Fusion delights with some powerful, dominant bass lines by Dean, Auger performing incredibly on organ and some fine jazzy guitar soloing by Mullen.''The light'' on the other hand is closer to the sound of Trinity, groovy organ- based Fusion/R'n'B with plenty of vocals by Auger with a positive taste at the end.On the flipside ''On the road'' kicks off with more of the same style, pleasant Fusion with good jazzy guitar soloing and Auger rather performing on the background this time than delivering any virtuosic notes except the middle solo.With ''Sword'' the band seems to lack inspiration, another long organ/guitar-led rockin' Fusion cut, very similar to the previous to the point you can't set them musically apart.The last track ''Oblivion Express'' has a certain DEEP PURPLE vibe on its groove, being a good blend of organ-based Heavy Rock and guitar-based Jazz-Fusion with Mullen in pure orgasm by the middle and some fiery almost EMERSON-ian organ offerings by Auger later.
It's a pitty tha the album did not maintain the high inspiration of the first pair of compositions.But again the rest of it is played with some great passion and energy, so Brian Auger's Oblivion Express'es entry in discography can be listened easily even today.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.