As we've seen in the previous chapter of my Blog, the creative explosion of 1967 gave birth to many beautiful musical gifts and we can say that one of them, and surely one of the most "brilliant" was surely a new musical style, a new world, called Jazz-Rock.
The previous chapter, in some ways wanted to demonstrate that the spirit of musical revolution/evolution that painted the world in the Sixties, born in the "rock world", was the 'basic item' that touched, a bit later, the "jazz world", generating a unique blend of new experiences with its own palette of inspired and inspiring colours that we call "Jazz-Rock".
We've seen that in 1967 United States and England had been, till then, the leading creative countries in the music re-evolution of that time, as it had been before, with Elvis and R & R in The States, with Beatles, Stones and the British Invasion from England, with R & B in the States, followed by "White R & B" in England, and a legacy of Blues players came out in both country and also ....adventures in modern sound, treating recording like a new instrument with Phil Spector on one side and with Joe Meek and George Martin on the other, "Sgt Pepper's" in Abbey Road, "Pet Sounds" in USA, Psichedelia in San Francisco, Psichedelia and Pre Prog in Long Island and the first classical influences in progressive rock in England and so on.
In Jazz-Rock we had also this "intuition" towards new areas, coming from different sources in both countries although personally I think that the record that before every other records was more aligned with the purest spirit of innovation of the new idiom called jazz-rock, "opening" towards new creative fields was surely "Open" by Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll & The Trinity (drummer Clive Thacker, and bassist Dave Ambrose).
Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll, Berliner Jazztage 1968 ©bayerisches-jazzinstitut.de"Open" has been seen as the first Rock-Jazz album (jazz rock was called Rock-jazz at the beginning). Basically the album combines "moods" inspired by Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff, jazzy harmonies, jazzy solos and the rock oriented rhythms, rock sensibilities, energy. Adventure and psychedelic colours.
It's a Pre rock-jazz adventure that's ...already jazz-rock by itself, definitely!
In the truest "spirit" of jazz-rock, it went much beyond coupling idioms of one style with the other, in it we find this view, this perspective of the widest horizons, with no limits, adding the right musical elements that inspiration suggested on the "flying moment", and we find also funky grooves by Brian and Trinity and bluesy lines by the phenomenal Julie Driscoll (from Auger's previous 60's super group The Steampacket, that had Rod Stewart in it as well) , proving that she was undoubtedly the only British, white singer who had the skill and ability to bring the necessary ingredients to interpret soul, like Aretha's ''Save Me''.
We find a couple of incredible rendition of Folk numbers like Donovan'
Season of the Witch (Donovan was the English counterpart of Dylan, that wrote such classics as "Sunshine Superman", "Mellow Yellow"; Lalena" and that should be much more knew by today's audiences) and Bob Dylan's "These Wheels on Fire", that's not in the original Lp but was out a bit later, in 1968, as a single, and it has to be be linked to this article as It's a beautiful example in those days. of the meeting of folk, psychedelic rock and jazzy elements...I like to call it: "a masterpiece in blending Space and earth, aesthetically, with soul!"
"This Wheel's on Fire" became a number one in France and reached number five hit in the United Kingdom. With its use of flanged sounds, the imagery of the title itself, and the group's flamboyant dress and performance (Brain told me one day of the big surprise the audience had when at the Berlin Jazz Festival they appeared on scene, in front of a jazz audience in pure "flower power" dresses), this "emotional package", this version came to represent the psychedelic era in British music.. with drama, mellotron, bluesy, jazzy, and... magic!
Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics in 1967, but didn't get around to releasing a
version of this track with his own vocals for another eight years ( there's also the Bands' version and the Byrds' version).
"Season of the Witch" established Julie's reputation as a vocalist of great interpretative ability and emotional dexterity. Donovan's ''Season Of The Witch'' gets Auger's bluesy Hammond organ licks all over it whilst Julie Driscoll sings with a very personal timbre and charm to great effect. This quite long tune, for the time it is the perfect interplay for the quartet.
Not enough words to describe Brain Auger's talent, he's been and he's a real genius and a wonderful being.
I'll tell you a little story; sometime ago I made my first Hammond oriented Album, called "Kings OF Clubs" ( now out of print but soon it will be available again) and I've got Brian's personal address from a common friend in Italy. I sent the CD to him and ...you can't imagine, really you can't imagine,,, I repeat that really you can't imagine the emotion I experienced when I got unexpected fax one day, telling: "Beppe, you've done a wonderful record! It reminds me those beautiful nights at the Flamingo, Thanks, Brian (and more).Wow, mi idol was telling that! ...I will talk a lot about Brian on this Blog, I'm sure! Thank you, Brian!!!
The opening tune I played with C3 (with Furio Chirico and Roberto Cassetta) at STB 139 was "Dragon Song" in the arrangement of Brian Auger when he was with Oblivion express and ... at the same time it was a tribute to another pioneer and hero in jazz rock, coming from UK as well, John Mc Laughlin, who played with Brian in the beginning and wrote that tune that in Brian's arrangements become even more dramatic retaining its angular melody and intense licks.
I like to give you a quote by Herbie Hancock about Brian:
"Brian Auger is one of the best Hammond B-3 artists I have ever heard in my life. His technique is awesome and the amount of energy he generates is unparallel and relentless. He is a tremendous talent with a wonderfully warm and compassionate personality, a combination that is hard to beat. He deserves all the accolades".
-Herbie Hancock
Brian's stated intention was to overlay soul and funk rhythms with jazz harmonies and solos and Brian's group, The Trinity, encapsulated wonderfully that period of time in the late 60's when mod was getting a little flowery and jazz, blues (Jonh Mayall's & Alexis Korner's alumni), and rock musicians found a common ground in the happening London scene at subterranean clubs like Flamingo where rockers and jazzers blended licks and moods.
"Open" contains mixture of jazz and rock but also rhythm & blues, Mod R&B, gospel, Psychedelic, folk and pop cover versions affirming the "open" attitude to creativity at 360° that's a basic factor in the greatest jazz-rock episodesnad that was just the beginning.
Following albums "Definitely What!", "Streetnoise" and "Befour" contains a long list of exciting, I would say legendary "rock-jazz/jazz-rock moments".
This new direction may have confused the less open-minded of the time, and that was and this is the price of adventure that's well known to pioneers in art, but definitely, at the end, Open" opened ... minds and "Opened" new doors towards mew roads... "miles away" for the new born Rock-Jazz/jazz-Rock,
See you soon with the beginning of Jazz-rock in the States,
in the meantime
Stay happy, my friends,
Beppe
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