Inspiration
Together with singer Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger took on a sonic triad of jazz, R&B, and pop as Brian Auger & The Trinity. A fusion of styles, years before the term "jazz fusion" was first coined in an album review of David Axelrod's Song of Innocence. "I look back on my years with The Trinity as a period of discovery," Auger writes in the liner notes of 1968's Definitely What. "I didn't know what would happen or where it would take me but we were breaking down barriers and going someplace new."
Brian Auger's jazz-funk outfit Oblivion Express shows all the elements why his music was praised and adored by the likes of Herbie Hancock, the Beastie Boys, Madlib, and the Brand New Heavies. Brian Auger's Oblivion Express marks another chapter in his forward-thinking fusion. Such as with their jazz-rock album A Better Land in 1971—with exclusive multitracks now on Tracklib!
Photo credit: Peter Heck
"I hope producers find and make new use of those unexpected musical moments that often occurred in the studio when keeping an eye on the clock and the budget, so the 'feel' was way more important than technical perfection—the Miles Davis approach!"
The album Search Party includes material recorded between 1977 and 1981 in San Francisco—as the song title "Golden Gate" implies. From grooves in the vein of Weather Report on "Voyager 3" to an upbeat jazz-rock frenzy on "Planet Earth Calling" with a crazy Hammond solo. "Auger was capable of sounding like the keyboardist and a large horn section all by himself," as written in an album review by Thom Jurek.
Back to the Beginning is the most comprehensive Brian Auger collection ever released, spanning fifty years of his career. "Blues Three Four" starts off like a proto-hip-hop combination of bass and drums, before hearing Brian Auger as part of his early-60s jazz piano trio. "Fire in the Mind," on the other hand, boasts a solo piano piece by Brian Auger from the same era.
A collection of rarities and classics from Auger's ground-breaking catalog. "Night Train to Nowhere" teleports his music into infectious Italo disco and mid-80s synth-pop.