Founded in 1953 by brothers
Hy
and
Sam Weiss
,
Old Town Records
remains one of the premier record labels of the early
rock& roll
era -- with a sprawling catalog spanning the breadth of
pop
R&B
blues
, the company remains best known for its rich, deep stable of
doo wop
artists, generating a series of classic hits including
the Capris
'
"There's a Moon Out Tonight,"
the Fiestas
"So Fine"
the Earls
"Remember Then."
Five volumes in, and the
Ace
label series
Old Town Doo Wop
shows few signs of slowing down -- thanks to
Hy Weiss
' penchant for all-night sessions yielding dozens of songs, the label's archives are an embarrassment of riches, and even if few of these songs made a dent at radio, they boast a remarkable vitality and fiercely idiosyncratic spirit, galvanized by a dynamic studio band led by the unsung saxophonist
Buddy Lucas
. Highlights include
the Intruders
"Just to Be,"
the Solitaires
"Lonesome Lover"
the Cleftones
"The Last Round-Up."
~ Jason Ankeny