Various Artists

released March 3, 2009

Between 1967 and 1981, Detroit’s downriver neighbor Ecorse, Michigan, had its very own Moe Asch. Set up in a basement on 18th Avenue, electronics wiz, guitarist, and Ford plant foreman Felton Williams chronicled the musical lives of Ecorse’s citizens and issued them on his Solid Rock, Compose, Cass, and Revival labels. Compiled here are 24 of Williams’ most fascinating recordings, covering gospel (Shirley Ann Lee, Gospel Supremes, Calvin Cooke, etc), group soul (the Combinations), garage-punk (Young Generation), jazz (Bobby Cook & the Explosions), and funk (The Organics, Burgess Band). Also included in both the CD and double LP is a Region 1 DVD stuffed with more than 200 sound recordings culled from Williams’ extensive archive, giving the listener a chance to hear every demo, steel guitar tutorial, and choir practice, plus a 30-minute documentary film featurette on the making of Downriver Revival.