Various - Eccentric Soul: The Young Disciples

already a living legend for his early work with ray charles and ike turner, allen merry channeled his talent into teaching - forming the young disciples through the south end community center to keep kids off the streets, out of the gangs and into the studio, where young men and women spiraling downward could ride the spiral groove upward on merry's own yodi, gateway and merry labels. with nearly 80 local youths involved from both sides of the mississippi, the young disciples (named after one of the area's mostnotorious gangs) encompassed solo acts, duos, male and female vocal groups, a massive horn section and a troupe of african dancers. every sweat-drenched recording incl. here emerged from this grass-roots organization that changed, if not saved, lives.