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Brian Auger

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Brian Auger

Brian Albert Gordon Auger (born 18 July 1939) is an English jazz rock and rock keyboardist who specialises in the Hammond organ.

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

In 1965, Auger played on "For Your Love" by the Yardbirds as a session musician. He was brought in to play the Hammond organ, but settled for the only available keyboard, the harpsichord. 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 as an LP in 1970 in France on the BYG label. They were 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. The latter track was a number 5 pop hit in the UK. In 1969 Auger, Driscoll, and Trinity performed in the United States on the NBC special 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee. Auger and Driscoll stopped performing together after the 1969 album Streetnoise, but reunited for the 1978 album Encore.

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.[citation needed]

According to the 13 December 1970 issue of The Baltimore Sun, the line up comprised Brian Auger on keyboards, Jim Mullen on guitar, Barry Dean on bass, and Keith Bailey on drums. Another musician, saxophonist Alan Skidmore, was expected to join the group in the near future.

In 1971 Auger 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.[citation needed]

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.

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