Some of the best jazz, and music in general, came from lesser-known artists who never achieved the full-blown fame of their musical counterparts. This, however, makes their music special and unique, for it is not overshadowed by the glamour of musical stardom or people‰’s tendency to listen to music simply because it is popular.

The other night, while sharing a conversation with my dad, he mentioned a jazz singer by the name of Oscar Brown Jr. I had never heard the name before. When describing his music, my dad compared Brown to Taj Mahal for “the soulful sound‰” that was popular in the 1960s, though “less gritty and country-sounding.‰” After listening to Brown‰’s most popular album, “Sin & Soul…and Then Some,‰” I could hear the similarities between the two, though I appreciated the eclectic sounds that Brown brought to his music. In particular, three songs stood out to me that separated Brown from any other jazz or soul musician I had heard before, each with a unique characteristic of Brown‰’s singing style.

Brown‰’s first unique quality is his ability to sing in a whiny manner without sounding irritating or overly emotional. In “Humdrum Blues,‰” Brown sings the higher pitches in a semi-howling manner for which he alternates with a more classic, soothing jazz sound during the chorus. This interesting combination of pointy and smooth sections colors the song quite interestingly and serves as a unique centerpiece for the otherwise typical instrumental arrangement in the background.

Brown proves his jazz-individualization even further, and quite possibly, more distinctly, in “But I Was Cool‰” for his talkative style of singing that more closely resembles a conversation delivered with rhythm and pitches, accompanied by a steady drum and bass beat. He even goes as far in portraying the magnitude of his emotions, another key feature of his music, by incorporating hysterical crying and uncontrollable shrieks throughout the piece, which makes the piece that much more casual and less song-like and clearly demonstrates his distraught and sadness.

The final song that exemplifies Brown‰’s unique jazz style is one of his mellower pieces, “Afro-Blue.‰” Despite the obvious differences in its sound from Brown‰’s other pieces, including a softer drumbeat and lack of instruments besides the percussion, Brown‰’s voice appears sweeter and more melodious than the softer songs of other jazz musicians. He articulates the lyrics in a way that sounds theatrical, better suited for a performance with actors and actresses rather than other musicians. Coincidentally, Brown was both a playwright and a jazz musician, a fact I discovered after listening to this piece. Nevertheless, it greatly contrasts the loud and piercing tendencies of many of Brown‰’s pieces, which ultimately demonstrates the versatility of his vocal style and categorizes his music in such a way that should be better recognized by jazz fans alike.