Light: On The South Side

Description

With *Light: On The South Side*, the Numero Group label explores the burning nights of Chicago's South Side in the 1970s through the keen eye of Michael Abramson. Rather than focusing on the artists on stage, the photographer chose to turn his flash on the regulars of clubs such as Perv’s House, The High Chaparral, and The Showcase Lounge. The result: a hundred black and white shots of rare intensity, bearing witness to an era as electrifying as it was under-documented. These images are gathered in a magnificent 132-page book, accompanied by an essay from writer Nick Hornby and a collection of vintage visual archives. But *Light: On The South Side* is also a double LP titled *Pepper’s Jukebox*, compiling 17 modern blues tracks as they could be heard on stage or from the Wurlitzer of a smoky club. From Little Mac Simmons to Bobby Rush, Lady Margo, and Arlean Brown, this soundtrack captures a scene in full transformation, between tradition and modernity. Housed in an elegant rigid box set, this comprehensive project – book, record, images, and sounds – is one of the most ambitious and refined objects ever offered by Numero. A sound and visual testimony of rare depth, even recognized by the Grammy Awards.