Richard Weize and his Bear Family Records are based in Germany, but few have done more to preserve American roots and other world music. Weize is dedicated to seeking out and reissuing the great, the lost, and the unknown.

He has dug through record-label archives, discovered unknown alternate takes, unearthed the rumored closet skeletons, and brought them all back to life. Along the way, he has issued albums of vintage country, classic rockabilly, great old time rock-and roll, gospel, R&B, world roots music, and more. Furthermore, he has made it a point of honor to pay royalties to the artists whenever and wherever he can. The three CDs here include new tracks by roots performers from Deke Dickerson to Kim Lenz and many more.

This box set includes a 208-page large-format hardcover book that serves as both label history and catalog of releases. Talk about creating an instant wish list…

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Mar. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.