The latest installment in BGP’s Flying Dutchman reissue programme is a compilation that shines a spotlight on the politically charged releases that appeared on the legendary label between the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is also a timely reminder of just how radical Bob Thiele’s imprint was and the presence of civil rights firebrands Angela Davis and H. Rap Brown, both of whom lay down incandescent spoken word that captures the mood of a dangerously divided America, is not something one imagines being endorsed by most majors. Gil Scott-Heron became the most commercially successful figure among these conscious orators, and the inclusion of his landmark ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ is necessary for the way it builds a bridge between poetry and music, both of which helped to define the label. Elsewhere Lonnie Liston Smith, Leon Thomas and Horace Tapscott all evoke the spirit of Coltrane by way of deeply spiritual modalism, while Oliver Nelson’s orchestra provides a fuller, beautifully ornate palette on the gorgeous lament for Dr King, ‘Martin Was A Man, A Real Man.’ Of real historical value is the previously un-issued ‘Toast To The People’ by Black And Blues, a relatively obscure group led by vocalist Victor Brown that featured young Turks, Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson.