Say what you will about the obsessive record collector set, as long as they continue to dust off treasures on the order of "Let My People Go" they remain essential to our collective wellbeing. William Darondo Pulliam was a Bay Area "Gentleman of Leisure" who, when not preoccupied with his recreational activities, found the time to records three sublime singles for miniscule local labels in the early 70s. Were it not for the perserverance of records collector Gilles Peterson, whose "Gilles Peterson Digs America" brought Darondo's work back into public eye, these remarkable recordings would have remained largely unheard. "Let My People Go" is a body of work which, though small, compares favorably with the best soul and funk of the era. Darondo sings with an assured but frog throated tenor reminiscent of Sly Stone at his most restrained and a delivery that recalls Al Green at his most intimate.
