One of the most important, if often overlooked, moments in the history of Atlanta music is a four-minute song called “Wind,” recorded in 1995 by the short-lived R&B group Society of Soul. An understated groove with breathy, barely there vocals, the track is essentially a showcase for an extended alto sax solo. Seen in another light, it’s a point of convergence for two generations of Atlanta musicians, with a dramatic spoken-word introduction: “Organized Noize would like to present ‘Wind,’ featuring Jimmy Brown, formerly of Brick, and also my dad,” says the group’s lead singer, Patrick “Sleepy” Brown.
A five-member funk outfit remembered for “Soul Train”-approved dance-floor stomps such as “Dazz” and “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody,” Brick was at the forefront of the Atlanta music scene in the late ’70s, and as frontman, Jimmy Brown was its wild-eyed center of gravity. It’s a legacy that Sleepy Brown has taken seriously, and as an accomplished solo artist and one-third of the Organized Noize production trio, responsible for classic albums by groups like OutKast and Goodie Mob, Sleepy is every bit as central to the story of Atlanta music as his father. He even says as much himself with the title of his latest EP, ATL = A-Town Legend, his first release in seven years.
A compact, six-song EP, ATL = A-Town Legend nevertheless covers a lot of territory, ranging from the hard-driving funk of “Some of That” to the haunting, neo-soul centerpiece, “You’re My Lady,” also featuring spoken interludes courtesy of Dungeon Family poet laureate Big Rube and Barry White’s son, Darryl. Like all of Brown’s best work, it’s steeped in the sonic signatures of previous decades, evoking the subtle, instrumental flourishes of blaxploitation soundtracks and Leon Ware’s sensual arrangements. But it also remains equally committed to looking forward, to the pop idiosyncrasy and experimentation that made his name.
“It’s hard to sit back and watch people wondering, ‘Where the hell is Sleepy Brown?’ ” he says on the phone from the outskirts of Las Vegas. It’s where he’s lived for the past couple of years, following an extended and unrewarding stint in Los Angeles. “Nobody wants to work out there, they want to party,” he says of the latter city. “Vegas calmed me down.”
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