Released a week before his 61st birthday,
Brian Auger's return to recording under the aegis of the Oblivion Express marks both a look back at his heyday and a continuance of his style of music. That style is a species of soul-jazz familiar from the 1960s and leading into the funky jazz-rock fusion of the early '70s. Indeed, four of the album's ten selections are remakes of songs drawn from
Auger's back catalog: "Isola Natale" from his debut album Open (1967); "Indian Rope Man" from
Streetnoise (1968); "Voices of Other Times" from Closer to It! (1973); and "Never Gonna Come Down" from
Happiness Heartaches (1977). Whether originals or covers, the new recordings testify to
Auger's jazz influences, often overtly -- the Latin-styled piano/organ excursion "Victor's Delight" is dedicated to
Victor Feldman, while
Marcus Miller's "Splatch" is borrowed from
Miles Davis' Tutu album. The all-new edition of the Oblivon Express heard on the album is a family affair, with
Auger's son Karma playing drums and producing and daughter Savannah singing on eight tracks, augmented by guitarist
Chris Clermont and bass player Dan Lutz. Nearly 40 years into
Auger's career, they make for what is virtually a repertory band devoted to a musical style that old fans will recall fondly, so that they can play this album alongside the CD reissues of the keyboard player's vintage recordings. ~ William Ruhlmann