In the 1960s and '70s, a breathtaking amount of great gospel music was released on small, regional labels. Until recently, those treasures have been known to all but a handful of devoted collectors. Just figuring out what's out there has proven to be one heck of a task, requiring compilers to rummage through labels like Southern imprints Messenger and HLF or Midwestern outfits such as Sensational Sounds. All the tracks included here were culled from the archives of the tiny Savannah, GA-based labels Pitch and Gusman, saved from obscurity by the intrepid researcher Dr. David Evans (Sorrow Done Pass Me Around) and later compiled and annotated by the magnanimous collector John Glassburner.

The Pitch/Gusman Records Story is that rare compilation that combines real music scholarship with a solid curatorial bent. Waymon Jones (1932-2004) ran Pitch — and, briefly, Gusman — out of his record shop. The store was a magnet for local gospel talent, so he didn't need to look too far to find his artists (most were weekend bands from rural communities in Georgia and South Carolina). The tracks are arranged in the order they were released — and you generally get both the A- and B-sides of each 7-inch.… read more »