A camera is a window through which a photographer interacts with the world, and it's up to the operator to decide whether his camera will be a barrier or a mirror between he and his subjects. In the 1970s, Michael Abramson chose the latter path when he brought his camera to Pepper's Hideout on Chicago's South Side. Following in the footsteps of his acknowledged influence Gyula Halász, a Hungarian photographer better known as Brassaï who became the pre-eminent chronicler of the Paris nightlife he loved so much, Abramson insinuated himself into the nightlife of Chicago's predominantly black neighborhoods. He was very much a part of the scene he documented on film, drinking, laughing, and dancing with his subjects into small hours and becoming as much a part of the atmosphere as the locals who frequented the same nightspots he did. 　　Numero Group has done a fair amount of work to preserve and document the South Chicago music scene of the 60s and 70s, releasing Eccentric Soul volumes on the Twinight and Bandit labels, reissuing Boscoe's phenomenal self-titled LP, and now giving us this set, which pairs a huge book of Abramson's striking photographs from Pepper's Hideout and its more risque counterpart, Perv's House, with a disc of music that mirrors the photos' sexuality and good humor. Abramson contributes a very short explanatory essay, but his black-and-whites are presented on their own, without captions, which is the best way to present them in this context. The intent of the project isn't journalistic after all. The whole package is built to include you in a party you likely never got to go to. 　　In addition to Abramson's photos, there are scanned flyers for blues and soul shows, the front and back of Abramson's own Player's Playground Card-- which granted him admission to Perv's House-- and an assortment of business cards from the old regulars. The picture here is of a lively, vibrant scene where people came to have fun and forget about daily problems. They clown, preen, and pose for the camera at times, but for the most part they just do their thing while Abramson snaps away, capturing them in half-lidded, off-balance, smiling, yawning, ecstatic, and joyful moments. In a Facebook era, this might not seem unusual, but it's not often you see a cameraphone grab that preserves a moment with such honest artistry as the images included here. There's a reason Abramson's work is owned by museums. 　　The accompanying disc of music is aptly subtitled Pepper's Jukebox, and though it lacks the archival and informational thoroughness that's become Numero's hallmark, it does provide a perfect soundtrack for the images. These are the songs they danced and laughed to, and the emphasis is one gritty, funky blues tunes. There's plenty of wailing harmonica and scratchy guitar, a hefty dose of double entendre and lots of plain great songs. Bobby Rush's classic "Bowlegged Women, Knock-Kneed Man" is a roaring and not really veiled tribute to the joys of doing it, and it's just the tip of the iceberg. Arelean Brown's "I Am a Streaker" works in similar territory, and she's not afraid to talk up her attributes: I'm built like an outhouse/ With not a brick out of place.../ Chest like headlights on a pimp's car..." 　　There are cool oddities, like the instrumental version of Syl Johnson's epochal soul cut "Is It Because I'm Black", and a bit of social commentary on Lucille Spann's gravel-voiced "Women's Lib", but the best songs get right to the heart of the blues. Willie Davis' "I Learned My Lesson" is flat-out powerful, with deep, dark verses and a ragged, finger-blistering guitar solo; it's a masterclass of smoky Chicago blues. On "You Made Me Suffer", Andrew Brown brings his blues noir into the funky 70s, mixing his lead guitar with heavy soul vocals and a popping drumbeat. 　　Taken together, the photo book and the disc offer a taste of what it might have been like inside Pepper's Hideout on a good night, and it seems like most nights at Pepper's were good nights. That scene is long gone today, so the opportunity to get an outsider's peek in is appreciated. It's also a rarity in the mp3 era to make such a complete experience out of music and packaging, and the package here is outstanding. Come for the sights, stay for the sounds. And don't be afraid to have a good time.