Second Wind

Description

Strut Records highlights a milestone in British jazz-rock with Second Wind, the 1972 album by keyboard visionary Brian Auger and his explosive band Oblivion Express. Testifying to a matured lineup, the album reveals an Auger developing his fusion language, blending jazz sophistication, funk rhythm, and soul-infused songwriting with the clarity that characterized his early 70s work.Although Auger's roots lie in the tradition of swing jazz organ and the improvisational energy of the 1960s British scene, he was never an artist content with tradition. With Second Wind, he explores a hybrid language that fuses rhythm with harmonic depth and groove, without sacrificing sophistication.At the heart of this Oblivion Express period lies the near-telepathic chemistry uniting its members. Singer Alex Ligertwood (in one of his first major recordings before his fame with Santana) brings a soul intensity that is both grounded and forward-looking. Second Wind contains tracks that have become essential in Auger's discography - the original compositions Second Wind and Truth, to name just a few - but it is Auger's energetic reinterpretation of Eddie Harris's Freedom Jazz Dance (with the addition of new lyrics to the original instrumental) that truly pushed boundaries. The track became a must-have classic for DJs and highlighted the group's deeply original approach.