Oscar Brown, Jr.

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Oscar Brown, Jr. (* 10. October 1926 in Chicago , Illinois ; † 29. May 2005 ) was an American jazz - singer and lyricist. Rolling Stone magazine picked his debut album Sin & Soul… and then some from 1960 on its list of The 100 Best Jazz Albums at number 63.

biography

At the request of his father, lawyer and real estate agent Oscar Brown Sr., he was supposed to become a businessman. Young Oscar Brown Jr. preferred music and made his debut as a singer on the Secret City radio show at the age of 15 .

Brown was also politically active from an early age. At the age of 19 he joined the Communist Party (and left again at 29 because there were racists there too). At 21, he was the first radio host to create a daily news program specifically for African Americans : the Negro Newsfront. Several times the program was not broadcast because it was too political for those responsible for the station and in 1952 it was finally taken out of the program. As a result, he ran - albeit unsuccessfully - for the parliament of the state of Illinois and then the US Congress .

Through music manager Robert Nemiroff, he came into contact with Capitol Records / CBS in 1958 and recorded his first album in 1960: Sin and Soul ... and then some. His lecture was inspired by the music of Bertolt Brecht and Lotte Lenya , the music is based on soul and hard bop . At the same time he also made a name for himself as a lyricist for other jazz singers, u. a. Max Roach , for whom he also wrote the concept album We Insist! Freedom Now Suite wrote the lyrics. Among the first to notice his talent were stars like Abbey Lincoln , for whom he wrote Strong Man , and Mahalia Jackson , who recorded Brown's song Brown Baby in 1960 ; later, among others, Nina Simone , Diana Ross and Toni Braxton interpreted this song. From the beginning, Brown's texts were political, telling about black lives and the struggle for equality .

In the years that followed, Brown reached the height of his popularity. In 1962 he hosted the television show Jazz Scene USA . He has worked with musicians such as Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie , Cannonball Adderley , John Coltrane and Miles Davis . His songs have been sung and recorded by Dee Dee Bridgewater , Sheila Jordan , Sammy Davis Jr. , Mel Tormé , Mark Murphy, and many others.

His own career as a singer, however, suffered from the problems that his political engagement caused him. He never became a “star”, except in a relatively small circle of jazz friends.

His best-known works today include the lyrics to Miles Davis ' All Blues and songs like Signifying' Monkey, the Work Song or The Snake, which became a hit in the version by Al Wilson .

Oscar Brown Jr.'s marriage to Jean Pace Brown has four daughters and one son.

Discography

  • 1960: Sin and Soul ... and then some
  • 1962: In a New Mood
  • 1962: Between Heaven and Hell
  • 1963: Tells It Like It Is
  • 1965: Mr. Oscar Brown Jr. Goes to Washington (Live)
  • 1965: Finding a New Friend (with Luiz Henrique )
  • 1970: Joy (with Jean Pace and Sivuca )
  • 1972: Movin 'On
  • 1973: Brother Where Are You
  • 1975: Fresh
  • 1995: Then and Now
  • 1998: Live Every Minute

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rolling Stone: The 100 Best Jazz Albums . Retrieved November 16, 2016.
personal data
SURNAME Brown, Oscar, Jr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz singer and lyricist
DATE OF BIRTH October 10, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH May 29, 2005
Place of death Chicago , Illinois