Chicago photographer Michael Abramson hit Perv's House, Pepper's Hideout, The High Chaparral, The Patio Lounge, and The Showcase Lounge nightly, not to capture the artists on stage but instead popping off a half-dozen rolls every night exclusively on the seldom photographed crowd. Light: On The South Side gathers more than 100 beautiful black and white Abramson images, as Numero shines its own light on yet another dark corner of the musical past. The 132-page hardback book features not just these photos, but an extended and wildly colorful ephemera section, plus an essay by British novelist and Numero fan Nick Hornby. Housed in a gorgeous slipcase with the 12X12 monograph is the 2LP set Pepper's Jukebox, a 17-track compilation of Chicago blues in transition, as heard from both the stage and the Wurlitzer. The deluxe 2LP set, featuring tracks by Little Mac Simmons, Arlean Brown, Bobby Rush, Lady Margo, Little Ed, and a dozen other modern blues artists, is packaged in a sharp gatefold jacket with two inner sleeves crammed with label scans and stories. All in all, it's the classiest Numero record ever made, our first Grammy-nominated product, its 2" spine spotted easily from across any discerning record archive.
A1. Arelean Brown - I'm A Streaker Baby
A2. Bobby Rush - Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man
A3. Ricky Allen - No Better Time Than Now
A4. Malcolm Simmons - The Same One
A5. Lady Margo - This Is My Prayer (To Find Someone Of My Own)
B1. Andrew Brown - You Made Me Suffer
B2. Artie White - Gimmie Some Of Yours (I'll Give You Some Of Mine)
B3. Lucille Spann - Womans Lib
B4. Hugh Hawkins - Bring It Down Front
C1. Slim Willis Band - I Sayed That
C2. Little Ed & The Soundmasters Band - It's A Dream
C3. Syl Johnson - Is It Because I'm Black (Inst.)
C4. Walter "Butterball" Davis - Baby (Wacha Doin' To Me)
C5. Willie Williams - Detroit Blues
D1. Little Mack - Goose Walk
D2. Detroit Jr. - Young Blood
D3. Willie Davis - I Learned My Lesson
D4. James Kinds & Stack - California Lady
