The Daytonians may let Jesus work it out, but they also do a heck of a lot themselves – more than plenty to make the record a rare funky gospel treasure from the 70s! The group hail from Dayton, Ohio, and cut the record in Atlanta – and there's some indication that Calvin Arnold was involved with the whole thing – as there's key funky currents to the music that remind us of the mix of rootsy grit and tightness in his own records, and which sound even better next to the magnificent harmonies of the group! As with the best soul-styled gospel albums of the period, the grooves and production are pretty darn down to earth – meaning that there's plenty here to love even if you're not taken with the spirit – and even more if you are. Titles include "Shelter", "Why Can't I", "Jesus Is Calling", "Deep River", "My Rock", and "I Got Everything". CD

One of the most ambitious works ever by Marvin Hannibal Peterson – a larger work dedicated to the 20 African-American children murdered by a serial killer in Atlanta, performed here with a mix of choral voices and jazz instrumentation! The piece follows strongly in a legacy of that format started by Max Roach and continued by Billy Harper – and Peterson works here with players that include George Adams on tenor, Kenny Barron on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Dierde Murray on cello – plus the voices of The Harlem Boys Choir, and lead vocals by Pat Peterson. The whole thing's wonderful – soaring and spiritual without sounding hokey at all – and titles include "The Angels Of Atlanta", "The Story Teller", "The Inner Voice", "Mothers Land", and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". CD

Essential work from Nathan Davis – one of our favorite jazz musicians ever! Davis is one of those cats who you'll never find mentioned in the mainstream, but his music has had a profound influence on our groove for many years – an essential soul jazz style that is finally given full due by this wonderful compilation! Nathan's got a very long resume in jazz – but one that's mostly occurred in the underground – time in both the KC and Pittsburgh scenes here in the US, and key years overseas, working in Paris, Germany, and even Eastern Europe – touching both musicians and jazz fans alike in his travels, and continuing to develop a really unique, truly amazing sound. Davis plays both tenor and soprano sax on these recordings – blowing with a style that owes just a bit to Coltrane, but which really takes off strongly on its own groove too – often with modal rhythms in support of his tones, which makes for some really spiritual, exotic moments in his music. The package brings together a wealth of rare recordings by Davis, many of which are not currently available in any form – cuts from albums for MPS, European Polydor, and other overseas labels – and some rare indie cuts from the US too. Titles include a version of "A5" recorded live in Yugoslavia; the rare "Cecen Kizi", recorded in Turkey – and the tracks "B's Blues", "Theme From Zoltan", "Mandingo", "Up Jumped Spring", "Uschimaus", "Atlanta Walk", "Makatuka", "New Orleans", "Tragic Magic", "Sconsolato", and a studio version of "A5". CD