Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll & The Trinity - Open

Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll & The Trinity — Open

Released in 1967, Open marked a bold debut for Brian Auger & The Trinity, featuring the dynamic vocals of Julie Driscoll. Music and its makers were rapidly evolving in ‘67, the U.K.'s Jazz and R&B scenes were being influenced by pop and psychedelia and socially, musicians of many styles found common ground in London's clubs such as The Cromwellian and The Scotch Of St James where the The Beatles, US legends Wilson Pickett and Jimi Hendrix mingled with the capitals jazzers and pop stars, often loudly jamming together in even louder 'Lord Byron' shirts.

Open fully embraced this spirit by fusing together those genres and attitudes of the era. From the outset Auger displays his jazz rooted approach on the A side with "In and Out" and "Isola Natale" (later covered by one of his American jazz heroes Richard "Groove" Holmes). Both showcase the Trinity's musicianship and Brian's improvisational flair. Auger himself takes on vocal duties on the raucous "Black Cat," a track that became a club hit. Open is marked by its eclecticism; "Lament for Miss Baker" is a tender, piano ballad influenced by Duke Ellington, reflecting Auger's jazz and classical influences while "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph" is a wild and crazy percussive freak out. Brian displayed not only his virtuosity but also his surrealist sense of humour with bizarre sound effects, inspired by Spike Milligan's The Goons' radio show interspersed between the tracks.

Julie Driscoll's arrival on the album's B side brings a sharp shift in tone. Her smoky, emotive vocals inject a soulful depth, notably on covers of Otis Redding & Carla Thomas hit "Tramp," Aretha's "Save Me" and The Staples Singers "Why Am I Treated So Bad." With original numbers "Break It Up" and "A Kind Of Love In" we hear the Auger / Driscoll pop infused R&B at its very best, whilst the version of Donovan's "Season of the Witch" stretches out into a slow-burning epic. In 2025, Open is viewed as a cult classic and testament to a unique period when genre boundaries were fluid and artistic risk-taking was the norm.

Brian Auger & The Trinity's debut captures the adventurous energy of the late 1960s. Fifty-eight years later, its importance in the development of British jazz fusion and progressive bands that followed is undeniable, with The Charlatans Tim Burgess recently commenting on Auger's Instagram that The Trinity were a "huge influence."

 

1. In and Out

2. Isola Natale

3. Black Cat

4. Lament for Miss Baker

5. Goodbye Jungle Telegraph

6. Tramp

7. Why (Am I Treated so Bad)

8. A Kind of Love In

9. Break It Up

10. Season of the Witch

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