A long-overdue return to form for this legendary compilation series – and one that presents a huge number of rare cuts, with a very cool approach! Side one is vocal, and side two is instrumental – and together, both sides serve up the kind of hard-edged material that make the New Orleans scene of the late 60s/early 70s such a treasure trove for lovers of funky 45s – maybe even more fantastic in this generation than in the better-known Crescent City scene of the early 60s. There's loads of killers here – vocal tracks that include "Get On Up (part 1)" by Chuck Conway & The Amars, "Sooky Feeling (part 2)" by Brotherhood, "Fly In My Pie" by Tommy Ridgley, "You Got To Do Better" by Lonnie Jones, "Little Boy Blue" by Buck Sinegal, and "You Don't Know How To Turn Me On" by Deacon John – and instrumental tracks that include "Funky Jaws" by Larry Jones, "Bumping" by Tyrone Chestnut, "Accept What You Expect" by Louisiana Purchase, "Don't Change Nothin" by The Scram Band, "Getting To The Middle (part 2)" by Eddie Bo, and "Hard To Handle" by Anthony Butler & The Invaders. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent overview of the second half of the short run of the Ric & Ron labels – tiny imprints from New Orleans in the early years of soul music, but a crucial force in the development of the Crescent City sound! The work here is mostly from the early 60s, and really shows New Orleans soul coming into its own – finding a way to fuse together all the rich array of sounds, styles, and cultural influences that made the sound of the city so unique – with lots of romping rhythms, deeply soulful vocals, and some mad piano lines that really add that signature New Orleans touch! Nearly every cut here is a winner, and this Ace Records presentation of the label's legacy is easily the best treatment of Ric & Ron we've ever seen. The set features 24 tracks – including some rare and unissued numbers – and titles include "Send Me Your Picture" by Bobby Mitchell, "A Losing Battle" by Johnny Adams, "Unemployed" by Warren Lee, "Check Mr Popeye" by Eddie Bo, "Honest I Do" by Tommy Ridgley, "I Guess I Always Will" by Jimmy Easterling, "I Don't Talk Too Much" by Martha Carter, "The Git Back (part 1)" by Guitar Joe Morris, "Question Of Love (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, and "Carnival Time (demo)" by Al Johnson. CD

Includes selections by Al Johnson, Lenny Capello, Eddie Bo, Johnny Adams, Joe Jones, Martha Nelson, Tommy Ridgley, Edgar Blanchard, and The Velvetiers. LP, Vinyl record album