American jazz recording artist Amber Weekes celebrates the birth centenary of songwriter, poet, playwright, and Civil Rights activist Oscar Brown, Jr., with her deeply-felt fifth album, “To Oscar With Love.” It is the most unique and powerful album of her career, with a strong backstory.
Weekes first “met” Brown as a pre-teen, while riding with her two sisters in the back seat of their mom’s car in Los Angeles. When his song, “The Snake,” came on the radio, their mom asked them to stop chatting and listen to “this really old song” of Brown’s. She wanted them to listen to the lesson in his words. Weekes became hooked. As she grew up and into her own musical repertoire, Brown’s songs found their way into her albums, beginning with her promotional recording of his song, “Hazel’s Hips,” in 2002. In 2021, her producer, Mark Cargill, re-mixed, re-mastered, and re-orchestrated the song for Weekes’ second market release, Round Midnight-Reimagined. The song reminded Weekes of her aunt’s real-life romance with actor Sidney Poitier, a patron at the family business, Weekes’ Luncheonette in Harlem, where her aunt worked as a waitress.
Weekes was honored to meet Brown during his LA years, and later performed with him at a fundraiser for donnie l. betts’ documentary, Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress: The Story of Oscar Brown, Jr. In the days leading up to the fundraiser, Brown became Weekes’ most famous houseguest. After Brown’s death in 2005, Weekes knew that someday she would record an album of his music. Weekes partnered with acclaimed producer, arranger and conductor Mark Cargill to record Brown’s songs. She selected those that would convey her deep respect for him and the messages he left for the world to discover. She is accompanied by LA “A listers,” pianist Tony Campodonico, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., trumpeter James Ford, saxophonist Phillip Whack, and violinist, string and horn arranger, and conductor Mark Cargill, among others.
Tracks
- MISTER KICKS (Featuring Keith Fiddmont) – 2:36 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- AFRO BLUE – 4:08 (Mongo Santamaria and Oscar Brown Jr.)
- STRONG MAN – (Featuring Paul Jackson, Jr. & Mark Cargill) – 5:22 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- BUT I WAS COOL (Featuring Glen Berger) – 3:07 (Oscar Brown Jr)
- BROWN BABY – 5:26 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- HAZEL’S HIPS – 2:34 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- RAGS AND OLD IRON – 6:33 (Oscar Brown Jr.)
- HUM DRUM BLUES (Featuring Adam “Aejaye” Jackson, Paul Jackson, Jr., Philip Whack) – 3:22 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- THE SNAKE – (Featuring Scotty Barnhart) – 4:42 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- WORK SONG (Featuring Tony Campodonico and Mark Cargill) – 2:53 (Nat Adderly, Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- A LADIES MAN (Featuring Adam “Aejaye” Jackson, Tony Campodonico, and Tom Luer) – 5:16 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
- A TREE AND ME (Featuring Tony Campodonico, Paul Jackson, Jr.) – 6:23 (Oscar Brown, Jr.)
Musicians
Keith Fiddmont – saxophone (feat. tr 1); Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (feat. tr 3, 8, 12); Glen Berger – tenor saxophone (feat. tr 4); Scotty Barnhart – trumpet (feat. tr 9); Tom Luer – saxophone (feat. tr 11).
Also feat. Scott Mayo – flute (tr 2, 12); Philip Whack – saxophone (tr 2, 8); Mark Cargill – violin (tr 3, 10); Gregory Cook – guitar (tr 4, 6, 10); Chris Pierce – guitar/harmonica (tr 7); Adam “Ayejaye” Jackson – voice (tr 7, 8, 11); Kevin Ricard – percussion (tr 2, 10, 12); Tony Campodonico – acoustic and Rhodes piano (tr 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12); plus others.
Strings and horns arranged and conducted by Mark Cargill (tr 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12)