You gotta give it up to the guys at Numero. With this, their third release, they've established a rep for off beat and engrossing explorations of musical arcanum, rescuing more than a few sublime delights from the Scrap Heap of History (great place to go digging, by the way). The facts: Bandit was a small Chicago label active in the'70s, and these 17 selections are the cream of its output. Sweet soul? Funk? The reviewer shuffles through his box of labels but can't find quite the right one. Listen to The Majestic Arrows' "One More Time Around(1)" and that punchy intro (yes, it's screaming "sample me!" but ignore that for now). The whole thing is filled with these tricky little segues and bridges that will tax your rewind button. Dig Linda Balintine's "You're a Hard Habit to Break(2)," Deno Brown's "If You Love Me(3)," Johnny Davis' "Boogedy Boogedy(4)," and The Majestic Arrow's "The Magic Of Your Love(5)". Three stunning soul acapellas drawn from rehersal tapes and added to the end of the CD provide an unexpected bonus and a typical example of Numero's thoroughness. The CD is packaged like the class act it is, with a highly detailed 15-page booklet full of photos and label info. Read up and the music becomes a soundtrack to the crazy story contained in the notes, so dive in. This set is a grower, with a handful of drumbreaks and head nodders to get you hooked, and a weird charm that will draw you back for repeated listens.

reviewed by monk