Pulp Fusion, Vol. 6: Magnum

Any disc with Pam Grier on the cover is worth owning, such as the sixth volume of Harmless' Pulp Fusion series. Compared to the five compilations that preceded it, this volume falls somewhere in the middle of the pack, with some by-now regular contributors -- namely Pleasure and Mandrill -- surrounded by groups that chip in with tracks that deserve to be heard more often. (If anything, Pulp Fusion is not your average rare soul/jazz/funk series.) Standouts here include Wood Brass & Steel's "Theme Song," Freddie Hubbard's "Povo," the Fatback Band's "Goin' to See My Baby," and Johnny Griffith Inc.'s "Grand Central Shuttle." Again, this series has neither beginners nor dabblers in mind.