Despite Atlanta's reputation as the "Black Mecca," until recently it had produced just a small batch of black records. But in the tradition of any soul-subgenre ringleader you care to name, Jesse J. Jones had once been quite busy building a private empire of sultry singing, tear-jerking strings, strident brass, and articulate soul songwriting like nothing else on offer in the American South around him. Sprawling over a pair of CDs, Eccentric Soul: The Tragar & Note Labels is an exhaustive survey of the twin imprints' Atlanta output from 1969 to 1977. Lost for 30 years amid the kudzu and Coke bottles of steamy central Georgia, 50 of Tragar and Note's best sides have been dragged lovingly from the underbrush, wrapped around a 10,000-word essay, and elegantly presented for an audience well outside the perimeter.

TRACKLIST:

A1. Tee Fletcher - Down In The Country

A2. Bill Wright - You Got A Spell On Me

A3. Eula Cooper - Shake Daddy Shake

A4. The Knights - Tipping Strings

A5. L. Daniels - Nitecap

A6. Frankie & Robert - Sweet Thing

A7. Franciene Thomas - I'll Be There

A8. Richard Cook - Somebody Got'A Help Me

A9. Frankie & Robert - Love (It's Been So Long)

A10. The Knights - The Hump

B1. Chuck Wilder - The Clown

B2. Tokay Lewis - Who Wants Me Now

B3. Nathan Wilkes - Now That I'm Wise

B4. Langston & French - Tumbling Down

B5. Eula Cooper - Heavenly Father

B6. Tokay Lewis - What Can The Matter Be

B7. Richard Cook - Love Is So Mean

B8. Bill Wright - You're The Only Thing I've Got Going For Me

B9. Sonia Ross - Every Now And Then

C1. Sandy Gaye - Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone

C2. Bobby Owens And The Diplomats - Messing Around

C3. Bill Wright - How Can I Hit The Ball

C4. Tee Fletcher - All Because Of You

C5. Eula Cooper - Standing By Love

C6. The Four Tracks - Charade

C7. The Young Divines - Deep In Your Heart

D1. Eula Cooper - I Need You More

D2. Chuck Wilder - Why

D3. Sonia Ross - Let Me Be Free

D4. Eula Cooper - Try

D5. The Young Divines - Ain't That Sharp

D6. Franciene Thomas - Too Beautiful To Be Good

D7. Sonia Ross - Breaking My Heart

D8. The Four Tracks - You Mean Everything To Me