From the outgrowth of
Steampacket, a band that included not only
Brian Auger and
Julie Driscoll, but also a young
Rod Stewart, came
Auger and
Driscoll's collective effort that produced two albums. When
Driscoll left in 1969 to pursue a solo career,
Auger, drummer
Clive Thacker, and bassist
Dave Ambrose continued as
Brian Auger &
the Trinity.
Open has been unfairly characterized as a kind of
groove jazz rip, one that combines
Wes Montgomery,
Jimmy McGriff, and the
rock sensibilities of the
psychedelic era. Whatever. There are many tracks here, from deep grooved funky
jazz to lilting
ballads and greasy
blues numbers and the skronky
exotica number
"Goodbye Jungle Telegraph." Auger may not have been as gifted an organist as
Alan Price technically, but he could more than hold his own on the Hammond B-3 (as evidenced by the first two tracks here which are instrumentals,
"In And Out" and
"Isola Nate"). He was also able to pull more sounds out of the instrument than any of his peers.
Auger wasn't much of a vocalist, but he could dig deep and get the emotion out of a song -- especially in a funky number like
"Black Cat," which featured a killer though uncredited studio horn section.
Driscoll's contributions are all on the second half of the album, beginning with the shuffling choogle of
Lowell Fulsom's
"Tramp," continuing through a moving reading of
Pops Staples'
"Why (Am I Treated So Bad)," two
Auger originals, and concluding in a reading of
Donovan's
"Season of the Witch" that single-handedly established her reputation as a vocalist of great interpretative ability and emotional dexterity. Almost eight minutes in length, it is the perfect interplay for the quartet with its dark, smoky swirling energy and extant
soul groove, and capos the album on a high note, making it a delightful precursor to the classic
Streetnoise which was to follow. ~ Thom Jurek
