By the beginning of 1963, African-American music in New Orleans was in flux. Its happy-go-lucky R & B sound was no longer guaranteed to hit the national charts. In short, the good times in the city had run out of steam. The major issue now was what sort of music to record in the wake of the 'British Invasion'. The answer of course was 'soul'. Until soul became the ubiquitous African-American musical style, the music that was recorded in the city was a Louisiana gumbo of blues, R & B, gospel, swamp pop, anything and everything that might sell a few records. This set of CDs is the story of how one city, New Orleans, with its unique, proud and energetic history came to adopt soul music and how its music producers and arrangers came to utilise the styles of soul music being made in other cities of the US and to adapt them to the rhythms and approaches that made New Orleans so different to every other soul city USA. These CDs are also a tribute to the little labels, whose sound became the heartbeat of the city, playing out onto the streets from jukeboxes, radio stations and mom-and-pop stores selling a few 45s as a sideline. Most of the tracks on these CDs have never been released since the day that the vinyl was first stamped. This is New Orleans African-American music at its most potent. The sound of the young of the city as they heard it and played it two generations ago.