Oscar Brown Jr

OSCAR BROWN JR - SIN & SOUL ...AND THEN SOME (1996)

1. Work Song   
2. But I Was Cool   
3. Bid 'Em In   
4. Signifyin' Monkey   
5. Watermelon Man   
6. Somebody Buy Me A Drink   
7. Rags And Old Iron   
8. Dat Dere   
9. Brown Baby   
10. Humdrum Blues   
11. Sleepy   
12. Afro-Blue   
13. Mr. Kicks   
14. Hazel's Hips   
15. World Of Grey   
16. Forbidden Fruit   
17. Straighten Up And Fly Right

Chicagoan Oscar Brown Jr. stormed his way to early '60s prominence with the Columbia debut album that provides the bulk of this satisfying collection. A lush, nimble baritone and a keen sense of his identity as an African American made Sin & Soul a triumphant calling card, its range of characters and narratives going far beyond the usual canon of romantic pop covers, as Brown dug into the knotty experience of black America, a volatile prospect in 1960 when the original version of the album was cut. It's not a stretch to argue that tracks like "But I Was Cool," his hilarious portrait of a clueless loser, or "Bid 'Em In," a riveting slave auctioneer's patter, prefigured rap, but Brown also delivers shuffles, tender ballads, and theatrical set pieces, some reworking solid instrumentals from Bobby Timmons, Herbie Hancock, Mongo Santamaria, and Bobby Bryant. From the tender paternal pride of "Dat Dere" to the teeth-gritting chain gang anthem, "Work Song," the set remains a classic, sensuous, vibrantly moral, funny, and tragic. --Sam Sutherland