Work Song

Oscar Brown Jr. · 1960 · Lyrics by Oscar Brown Jr. on Nat Adderley's theme, on Sin & Soul

Context

Oscar Brown Jr. put lyrics to Nat Adderley's melody, turning this instrumental tune into a song about the forced labor of prisoners. It appears on his first album, Sin & Soul, recorded for Columbia between June and October 1960 and released in January 1961. This practice of writing lyrics to jazz instrumentals became influential; Nina Simone's version popularized the text, and the track was adopted by the mod movement.

In the genealogy of jazz

This track belongs to Vocal jazz, scat, vocalese, Hard bop. Among the origins and influences of Vocal jazz, scat, vocalese: Classic blues (women singers), Swing, big bands, Bebop (Minton's, Monroe's).

By the same artist

• Dat Dere (1960)

Sources

• EN: Oscar Brown
• oscarbrownjr.org

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