Brian Auger & The Trinity - Befour

Strut presents the final album by Brian Auger & The Trinity, 1970's Befour. A newly remastered reissue edition curated with the Auger family.

Befour marked the final chapter of Brian Auger's celebrated Trinity era before he launched Oblivion Express, bringing to a close several years of exploring and refining his distinctive blend of jazz-rock, Hammond soul and prog elements. Drawing on the band's wide-ranging influences, the album is built around inspired reinterpretations that showcase the band’s virtuosity and adventurous spirit.

Sly & The Family Stone's "I Wanna Take You Higher" is transformed into a full strength jazz-rock workout, while "Pavane", adapted from Gabriel Fauré's celebrated classical composition, highlights Auger's gift for seamlessly blending classical and contemporary influences. Elsewhere, the album features one of the greatest and most inventive covers of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", and Traffic's "No Time to Live" features a standout vocal performance from guitarist Gary Boyle.

Although Befour reached the Billboard charts on its original release, it has remained one of the lesser known albums in the Trinity catalogue. Over time, however, it has earned cult status among early jazz fusion fans and is now regarded by critics as one of the defining British jazz-rock recordings of the era, arriving just before jazz fusion emerged as a major force during the 1970s. Today, Befour stands as both a fitting conclusion to the Trinity years and an important bridge between the psychedelic soul of Auger's work with Julie Driscoll and the more exploratory, funk-driven direction of Oblivion Express. Rich in musicianship and forward-thinking arrangements, it remains one of the most rewarding albums in Auger's catalogue.

This new official Strut reissue has been curated by Greg Boraman of Impressive Collective in collaboration with Brian and Karma Auger.