Earlier this month, Appleseed Recordings — an independent folk music label devoted to raising consciousness about a variety of social issues — celebrated its tenth anniversary as a label by releasing its first ever sampler disc. Unlike many such compilations however, Sowing The Seeds was much more than a quick history lesson.

Spread over two discs with a total of 37 tracks — many of which appeared for the first time on this collection — Sowing The Seeds is more like a primer course on folk music itself, that covers virtually every aspect of the genre. From British folkies like Donovan and Al Stewart, to their American counterparts like Roger McGuinn, Joan Baez, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, no stone is left unturned on Sowing The Seeds. For the novice, it is a perfect introduction, while there are also enough rare goodies here to satisfy even the most diehard folkie purist.

Well, it seems the folks at Appleseed are at it again.

Give US Your Poor is a new single-disc compilation from Appleseed Recordings designed to raise awareness in the hopes of eradicating the problem of homelessness. The label also is putting its money where its mouth is, by donating a percentage of the profits to the Give US Your Poor Campaign To End Homelessness, which was formed at Boston's Graduate School of Policy Studies.

Once again, Appleseed has brought together a formidable array of talent for this compilation, including such high profile music names as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Merchant, and Jewel, as well as actors like Danny Glover and Tim Robbins (who appear on spoken word pieces backed by music). The musical twist here is that on many of the tracks, the stars are paired with homeless or formerly homeless musicians.

One of the major selling points of Appleseed's Sowing The Seeds was of course the first ever duet between Bruce Springsteen and folk icon Pete Seeger on Springsteen's "The Ghost Of Tom Joad." Here, the pair team up once again for the more traditional "Hobo's Lullaby." But the musical styles here go far beyond folk, to encompass bits and pieces of everything from jazz to blues to gospel.