Biography

In 1965 Auger formed the group The Steampacket, along 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 enclosed on a cd by Repertoire Records (1990) (Licenced from Charly Records) as well as 12 live tracks from "Live at the Birmingham Town Hall, February 2, 1964. Soon thereafter the band broke up and shortly after Stewart left in 1966. In 1965, Auger played on For Your Love by The Yardbirds.

With Driscoll and the band, Trinity, he went on to record several hit singles, notably a cover version of David Ackles' "Road to Cairo" and Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", which was featured on Dylan Covered. In 1969 Auger, Driscoll and Trinity appeared performing in the United States on the nationally telecast 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee.

In 1970 he formed Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, shortly after abandoning the abortive "Wassenaar Arrangement" jazz-fusion commune in a small suburb of The Hague. Oblivion Express served to cultivate several musicians, including future The Average White Band drummers Robbie McIntosh and Steve Ferrone, as well as guitarist Jim Mullen. Likewise, 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.

Brian Auger toured with Kim Simmons, Gregg Errico, and Tim Bogert, in a band they called Maestro in the mid 80s. There was no album for this tour, but those of us who were lucky enough to catch a performance, will never forget it.

In 1986, he played keyboards for the Italian singer Mango on the album Odissea.

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 blues rocker Eric Burdon in the early 1990s, and recorded the live album Access All Areas with him in 1993. After several projects, including albums with family members, he reformed Oblivion Express in the late 1990s, with a line-up that eventually featured both his son and daughter.

Oblivion Express was revived in 2005 with recording and subsequent 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 one of the few solo albums of his career, Language of the Heart, produced by Tea. It features Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Julian Coryell on guitars.

Auger is currently recording with Latin Rock legends El Chicano and is featured on B3 Organ in several tracks from El Chicano's most recent studio album released in April 2014.

In 2014 Brian Auger and Oblivion Express played at the KJAZZ festival in Los Angeles and toured in Japan and Europe with the following line-up: son 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.

Discography

• 1965 - The Steampacket Featuring Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll (9 rehearsal/demo tracks) -note: also includes 12 live tracks from the legendary "First R&B Festival 1964" featuring the Spencer Davis R&B Quartet (with Steve Winwood), the Liverpool Roadrunners, Long John Baldry & the Hoochie Coochie Men (with Rod Stewart), and Sonny Boy Williamson & the Yardbirds (with Keith Relf, Eric Clapton).
• 1965 - Attention! Brian Auger! (Special Guests: Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll, Long John Baldry)
• 1967 - Open (first Trinity album)
• 1968 - Definitely What!
• 1968 - Don't Send Me No Flowers - Sonny Boy Williamson (with The Trinity, Jimmy Page, Joe, Harriot, Alan Skidmore)
• 1969 - Streetnoise (2LP)
• 1969 - Jools & Brian (with The Trinity, Julie Driscoll)
• 1970 - Befour (last Trinity album)
• 1971 - Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (first Oblivion Express album)
• 1971 - A Better Land (Oblivion Express)
• 1972 - Second Wind (Oblivion Express)
• 1973 - Closer To It! (Oblivion Express)
• 1974 - Straight Ahead (Oblivion Express)
• 1974 - Live Oblivion, Volume 1 (Oblivion Express)
• 1975 - Reinforcements (Oblivion Express)
• 1976 - Live Oblivion, Volume 2 (Oblivion Express)
• 1977 - The Best Of Brian Auger (Oblivion Express)
• 1977 - Happiness Heartaches (Oblivion Express)
• 1978 - Encore - Brian Auger & Julie Tippetts (their reunion album)
• 1978 - The Joy Of Flying - Tony Williams (with Ronnie Montrose)
• 1981 - Search Party (solo album)
• 1982 - Here And Now (solo album)
• 1987 - Keys To The Heart (Oblivion Express)
• 1990 - Super Jam (with Zoot Money, Maria Muldaur)
• 1993 - Live In Tokyo (June 1978 ... 'Live Under The Sky' Jazz Festival) - Tony Williams (with Ronnie Montrose, Billy Cobham)
• 1993 - Access All Areas: Live - Eric Burdon/Brian Auger Band -2CD
• 1996 - The Best Of Brian Auger's Oblivion Express -2CD
• 1998 - Blue Groove - Karma Auger
• 1999 - Voices Of Other Times (Oblivion Express)
• 1999 - The Mod Years (1965-1969 ... complete singles, B-sides and rare tracks) (compilation: with Steampacket, The Trinity, Julie Driscoll)
• 2002 - Soft & Furry - Ali Auger
• 2003 - Auger Rhythms: Brian Auger's Musical History -2CD (compilation: with The Trinity, Julie Driscoll, Oblivion Express)
• 2004 - Get Auger-Nized! The Anthology -2CD (compilation: with The Trinity, Julie Driscoll, Oblivion Express)
• 2005 - This Wheel's On Fire: The Best Of Brian Auger (compilation: with The Trinity, Julie Driscoll, Oblivion Express)
• 2005 - Looking In The Eye Of The World (Oblivion Express)
• 2005 - Live At The Baked Potato (Oblivion Express)
• 2007 - Tiger: Brian Auger Featuring Trinity, Julie Driscoll & The Steampacket -2CD (Atom Records) (compilation of early UK material; also includes all 8 of the Sonny Boy Williamson tracks)
• 2012 - Language Of The Heart (solo album)
• 2013 - Mod Party (Brian Auger Trinity Featuring Savannah Grace)
• 2013 - Train Keeps A Rolling - Jeff Golub
• 2015 - Live Los Angeles (Oblivion Express) -2CD (Freestyle Records)
• 2015 - Back To The Beginning: The Brian Auger Anthology -2CD (Freestyle Records) (compilation: with The Trinity, Julie Driscoll, Oblivion Express)

Filmography

• 1969 - 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee (The Trinity)
• 2005 - Brian Auger: Insights Of The Keyboard Master (Learn The Styles Of Jazz-Rock's Greatest Keyboard Genius) -DVD
• 2005 - Live At The Baked Potato (Oblivion Express) -DVD

[ Source: Wikipedia ]