02.18.05 (MusicPortal.com) Castle Music has announced the upcoming release of a compilation of BRIAN AUGER's most well-known songs along with some early rarities, entitled "This Wheel's On Fire - The Best Of Brian Auger," which is due April 11th. Before catching the R&B bug, BRIAN AUGER first came to public recognition playing Hard Bop on the early 60's London Jazz scene. As the city raced through that tumultuous decade, there was no bigger draw on the London club scene than Auger and his popular bands STEAMPACKET and BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY. Today, BRIAN AUGER remains a domineering force and a major influence on a diverse range of contemporary music groups including THE CHARLATANS and the BEASTIE BOYS. The songs featured on "This Wheel's On Fire - The Best Of Brian Auger" draw on material from across his illustrious career taking in his work with THE TRINITY, THE OBLIVION EXPRESS and Julie Driscoll. Classics such as 'This Wheel's On Fire,' a Top 5 hit back in 1968 (which experienced a new breath of life when it became the theme song for the TV series "Absolutely Fabulous"), Mod-era songs 'Black Cat' and 'Fool Killer,' and early '70s gems like 'Freedom Jazz Dance' and 'Happiness Is Just Around The Bend' are all included. BRIAN AUGER is also slated to return to the UK next month to perform three rare concerts, which will be held at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on March 3rd, The Wardrobe in Leeds on March 4th, and at London's Jazz Cafe on March 6th. "This Wheel's On Fire - The Best Of Brian Auger" Track Listing: 1. This Wheel's On Fire • 2. Indian Rope Man • 3. Listen Here • 4. Freedom Jazz Dance • 5. Happiness Is Just Around The Bend • 6. I Want To Take You Higher • 7. Fill Your Head With Laughter • 8. Season Of The Witch • 9. Save Me (Parts 1 & 2) • 10. Black Cat • 11. Tiger • 12. Fool Killer • 13. Break It Up • 14. Light My Fire • 15. Inner City Blues • 16. Pavane • 17. Foolish Girl

02.14.05 (AP) From Dickey Betts to Jerry Lee Lewis to Jamie Foxx, the Grammy Awards crowd had one thing in common Sunday night: RAY CHARLES. "Ray Charles influences all of us," said Betts, of ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND fame. "To me, any time I'm writing a blues song, many times at least I'll be thinking about how Ray Charles put chords to it, how he used intonations. Just the way he writes and used chord structures is amazing - was amazing." Ben Harper, who won a Grammy for "Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album," said Charles was also an inspiration to him: "He loved folk, he loved country," Harper said. "There's soul music and then there's Ray Charles. That's a huge inspiration to me." "He was among the greatest God-given talents that ever lived," said rock 'n' roll legend Lewis, who received a lifetime achievement award. "I just loved him so much. He was like a brother. Every time I saw him, he was, 'Jerry, you're looking good.'" Charles died of acute liver disease June 10th of last year at age 73. But his posthumous album, "Genius Loves Company" and the Oscar-nominated biopic film "Ray" have generated tremendous renewed interest in RAY CHARLES' life and music. "Genius Loves Company," a compilation of duets with the likes of Norah Jones, Elton John and Gladys Knight, picked up eight Grammys Sunday night, including album of the year and record of the year for 'Here We Go Again,' which was recorded with Jones. Charles had previously earned 12 Grammys, including best vocal performance for the song 'Georgia On My Mind' in 1960, winning four of the five awards for which he was nominated that year. Jones said the proposition of playing with Charles was daunting: "I felt pretty musically challenged," she said. "I felt a little scared, but he put me at ease." Charles' musical knowledge came in handy, though, when Jones initially could not think of which song to do with him. "He called and said, 'Hey, it's the brother Ray!'" and reassured her any song she could think of would be fine, Jones recalled. "I know them all," Charles told her.
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[Blues News: January 2005]
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