Aum

This minor San Francisco blues rock trio formed in 1968 and lasted two years. The group comprised Wayne Ceballos (guitar, piano, lead vocals), Kenneth Newell (bass/vocals) and Larry Martin (drums/vocals). By early 1969 Aum began appearing as an opening act at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West. That summer found the band touring the east coast, where it played the Atlantic City Pop Festival and opened for Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Fillmore East. Immersed in the San Francisco tradition, the band tended to inject diverse influences, such as gospel, into its sound and improvised on stage. Aum released one album on the Sire Records label in 1969 and a follow-up for Graham’s Fillmore label in 1970, after which they disbanded.