Between Heaven and Hell

by Oscar Brown Jr.

Between Heaven and Hell cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1962
  • Label: Columbia
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 36:13
  • Community rating: 3.95/5 from 3 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Showcasing his unique blend of theatricality, social commentary, and jazz sensibility, 'Between Heaven and Hell' finds Oscar Brown Jr. interpreting an eclectic mix of material. Accompanied by arrangements from Ralph Burns, Brown's highly animated, percussive vocal style transforms standard forms into compelling, narrative-driven pieces. It solidified his reputation as a profoundly original hipster poet and social critic.

Genres

Descriptors: vocal, male-vocals, spoken-word, political, melodic

Tracklist

  1. Mr. Kicks (2:22)
  2. Hazel's Hips (3:11)
  3. Excuse Me For Livin' (2:58)
  4. Lucky Guy (3:06)
  5. Forbidden Fruit (3:08)
  6. Opportunity, Please Knock (2:53)
  7. Elegy (Plain Black Boy) (3:56)
  8. Sam's Life (3:15)
  9. Hymn To Friday (2:11)
  10. Love Is Like a New Born Child (2:39)
  11. When Malindy Sings (2:35)
  12. World Full Of Grey (3:53)

Credits

  • Oscar Brown Jr. - primary artist, written-by
  • Quincy Jones - arranged by
  • Joe Newman - trumpet
  • Ralph Burns - arranged by
  • Patti Bown - piano
  • Gwendolyn Brooks - written-by
  • Paul Laurence Dunbar - written-by

More from Oscar Brown Jr.: full discography