Organist loves to bridge rock, jazz

Organist Brian Auger is thankful he's still able to record music and go on tour. "Every day I wake up I have to thank the Big Band Leader in the Sky for letting me do what I'm doing," he said.

"I have wonderful children and a wonderful wife, who I married 36 years ago, who understands what I'm doing." In fact, both of Auger's kids have worked with him on recordings throughout his career.

"My son Karma is my producer and arranger, and my daughter sings," he said during a telephone interview from his home in Los Angeles. "It doesn't get any better than this."

Auger has reason to be happy. He's one of those musicians who got his start back in the mid-'60s before greed overtook the music business. "I play music that I want to play. I've been fortunate to sidestep what the major record labels have done to the music business. I mean, there are a lot of great bands and good music out there that don't get heard because the recording industry is trying to make money on hits."

And he speaks with authority. During his career, Auger has worked with some of the best-known musicmakers in the history of rock and jazz. He has toured with Herbie Hancock & the Headhunters, ZZ Top, the Crusaders and Earth Wind & Fire. He's also done some session work with Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart, before Stewart hit the big time.

"Rod was interesting," Auger said. "He was doing this Sam Cooke thing with his voice, and it was the beginning of what he would be doing the rest of his life."

Auger also worked with Long John Baldry, one of England's top blues player in the '60s, and with Julie Driscoll in a band called Trinity. Then there was Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine — and he played harpsichord on the Yardbirds' breakthrough hit "For Your Love."

So how did all this get started? Auger said it goes back to his father's player piano. "I was about 3 years old, living in a working class neighborhood in post-World War II England. I was fascinated by what that piano could do. By the time I was able to stand on the pedals and get the piano working with its rolls, I could pick out the tunes on my own. I would basically copy the patterns.

"By the time I could sit on the piano stool, I could play."

It wasn't long after that when Auger discovered jazz. "Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and George Shearing were my idols. Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton came next. Then came the Blue Note catalog with Miles Davis and John Coltrane. And then Oscar Peterson really took hold of me.