What an amazing book and compilation (2x LP on vinyl) from Chicago’s Numero Group. Listen to the music while flipping through the pages and you can almost taste the bourbon and smell the menthol—it’s pure romance. At 23 years old, Michael Abramson found himself in the middle of Chi-Town’s South Side nightclub scene between 1975-1977—an unlikely place for a white guy armed with a camera. Whatever he did worked, though—he struck gold. Abramson was the “The Picture Man” at joints like Perv’s House, Pepper’s Hideout, The High Chaparral, The Patio Lounge, and The Showcase Lounge. You get the sense that he wasn’t just a fly on the wall, but a participant in what was happening. He captured an incredible slice-of-life that literally transports you back in time. I’m sitting here feeling like I missed out on something truly special. And you don’t capture that kind of magic from being a photographer on the outside. There’s a reason why, in 1978, he received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in response to his documentary work on the South Side of Chicago and it’s all highlighted right here in this 132-page book. The 12X12 hardback comes housed in a gorgeous slipcase and features a collection of over 100 photos, an ephemera section, and also includes an essay by Nick Hornby. Music wise you get seventeen super-rare cuts spanning funk, soul and blues. As a bonus, if you’re 1 of the first 1000 to buy a copy you get a limited edition 45. Sweet. All in all, this is Numero Records at their finest. Pick it up here for $60.

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