Oscar Brown, Jr.’s Work Song

I love the breadth and depth of Oscar Brown Jr.’s work.  A prolific singer, songwriter, playwright, and activist, he was also a born and bred Chicagoan. The cut below “Work Song”, is from his first LP, 1960’s “Sin and Soul” which he recorded in his mid-thirties. He was a father of five at the time of his debut. I love how simple the arrangement is on the track, and yet, it still SWINGS…..jive on.

Brown wrote at least 1,000 songs (only 125 have been published), twelve albums, and over a dozen musical plays.