Brian Auger

Brian Albert Gordon Auger (born 18 July 1939) is an English jazz rock and rock music keyboardist who specializes in the Hammond organ.[1]

Brian Auger
Background information
Birth nameBrian Albert Gordon Auger
Born (1939-07-18) 18 July 1939
Hammersmith, London, England
GenresR&B, jazz rock, rock
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsOrgan
Years active1960s–present
Associated actsJulie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity, CAB, The Steampacket
Websitebrianauger.com

Auger has worked with Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix,[2] John McLaughlin, Sonny Boy Williamson, Eric Burdon. He incorporated jazz, early British pop, R&B, soul music, and rock into his sound. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award.

Career

In 1965, Auger played on "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds as a session musician. That same year, Auger formed the group The Steampacket with Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll, Vic Briggs, and Rod Stewart. Due to contractual problems there were no official recordings made by the band; nevertheless, nine tracks were laid down for promotional use in late 1965 and released on a CD by Repertoire Records in 1990 (licensed from Charly Records) as well as 12 live tracks from Live at the Birmingham Town Hall, February 2, 1964. Stewart left in early 1966 and soon thereafter the band broke up.

With Driscoll and the band Trinity, he went on to record a cover version of David Ackles' "Road to Cairo" and Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", which appeared on Dylan Covered. In 1969 Auger, Driscoll, and Trinity performed in the United States on the NBC special 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee.

In 1970, he formed the jazz fusion ensemble Brian Auger's Oblivion Express shortly after abandoning the abortive "Wassenaar Arrangement" jazz rock commune in a small suburb of The Hague. Oblivion Express cultivated the talents of several notable musicians, including Average White Band drummers Robbie McIntosh and Steve Ferrone, as well as guitarist Jim Mullen. In 1971 he produced and appeared on Mogul Thrash's only album, Mogul Thrash. Two members of that band, Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan, would go on to form the Average White Band.

Auger toured with Kim Simmonds, Gregg Errico, and Tim Bogert in the mid 1980s in a band they called Maestro. No album resulted from this collaboration and tour. In 1986, he played keyboards for the Italian singer Mango on the album Odissea.

Brian Auger after a show at the Cabaret de Monte-Carlo with bassist-arranger Pino Presti in 2006

In 1989, Auger was musical director for the thirteen-part film retrospective series Villa Fantastica made for German TV. A live recording of the series, Super Jam (1990), features Auger on piano, Pete York on drums, Dick Morrissey on tenor saxophone, Roy Williams on trombone, Harvey Weston on bass guitar, and singers Zoot Money and Maria Muldaur.

Auger toured with Eric Burdon in the early 1990s and recorded the live album Access All Areas with him in 1993. Oblivion Express was revived in 2005 with recording and touring. The group featured Brian Auger, his son Karma Auger on drums, his daughter Savannah Auger on vocals, and Derek Frank on bass.

In 2012, Auger released Language of the Heart, one of the few solo albums of his career, produced by Tea. It features Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Julian Coryell on guitars.

In 2014, Auger was invited by producer Gerry Gallagher to record with El Chicano as well as Alphonse Mouzon, David Paich, Alex Ligertwood, Ray Parker Jr., Lenny Castro, Vikki Carr, Pete Escovedo, Peter Michael Escovedo, Jessy J, Salvador Santana, Marcos J. Reyes, Siedah Garrett, Walfredo Reyes Jr., and Spencer Davis. This major recording project is due for release in 2019.

In 2014 Brian Auger and Oblivion Express played at the KJAZZ festival in Los Angeles and toured in Japan and Europe with Karma Auger on drums, daughter Ali Auger on vocals, Alex Ligertwood on vocals, Yarone Levy on guitar, Les King on bass, and Travis Carlton on bass.[3]

Discography

As leader
  • Open with Julie Driscoll (Marmalade/Atco, 1967)
  • Jools and Brian (Capitol, 1968)
  • Definitely What! (Marmalade/Atco, 1968)
  • Streetnoise with Julie Driscoll (Marmalade/Atco, 1969)
  • Befour (RCA Victor, 1970)
  • Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (RCA Victor, 1971)
  • A Better Land (RCA Victor, 1971)
  • Second Wind (Polydor, 1972)
  • Closer to It (RCA Victor, 1973)
  • Straight Ahead (RCA Victor, 1974)
  • Live Oblivion Vol. 1 (RCA Victor, 1974)
  • Reinforcements (RCA Victor, 1975)
  • Live Oblivion Vol. 2 (RCA Victor, 1976)
  • Happiness Heartaches (Warner Bros., 1977)
  • Encore with Julie Tippetts (Warner Bros., 1978)
  • Here and Now (Grudge, 1986)
  • Keys to the Heart (One Way, 1996)
  • Voices of Other Times (Sanctuary, 1999)
  • Looking In The Eye of The World (Ghostown, 2007)
  • Language Of The Heart (Ghostown, 2012)
  • Full Circle Live at Bogies (Freestyle, 2018)
  • Introspection (Sunset Blvd, 2021)

Filmography

References
  1. Ruhlmann, William. "Brian Auger". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  2. "Interview: Brian Auger". Hit-channel.com. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  3. "Brian Auger". Brian Auger. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  4. "Brian Auger Instructional DVD". Brianaugervideo.com. Retrieved 12 July 2017.

Other sources

Further reading
  • Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul by Irwin Stambler
  • Jazz-Rock Fusion: The People, the Music by Julie Coryell & Laura Friedman
  • The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll by Jon Pareles & Patricia Romanowski Bashe
  • Encyclopedia of Rock by Phil Hardy & Dave Laing
  • Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of 60s Rock by Richie Unterberger
  • Jimi Hendrix: The Man, the Magic, the Truth by Sharon Lawrence
  • Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro by Michele Kort
  • The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin
  • The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies by Leonard Feather & Ira Gitler
  • The New Musical Express Book of Rock, 1975, Star Books
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