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 and 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" and
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" and
the Cleftones' "The Last Round-Up."