If New Orleans R&B could be compared to the Holy Bible, this CD would be considered the Book of Genesis—as in, “In the beginning, God created rhythm and blues.” Dating from the late 1940s, these sides appeared on the New Jersey–based DeLuxe label, predating Imperial, eventually the dominant New Orleans R&B label for the duration of the 1950s. The first artist presented here, vocalist Eddie Gorman, wound up a mere blip on the city’s entertainment scene. Backed by Paul Gayten’s band, his lyrics were clever and occasionally risqué—especially the title track—but the arrangements were still standard, or rather conservative for the late 1940s. Gorman possessed a smooth bass voice and a delivery close to Billy Eckstine; with your eyes closed you’d imagine him crooning in a tux with a manicure. Not so for the revered Smiley Lewis, who on his four tracks sang like he was wearing worn dungarees and had dirt under his fingernails. His earliest tracks, “Swimming Blues” and “Love Is Like a Gamble,” haven’t seen the light of day since 1947! The arrangements here are playful, thanks to Tuts Washington’s sparkling piano, and Smiley’s booming tenor is a harbinger for his harder Imperial recordings. Cousin Joe’s humorous DeLuxe material (“It’s Dangerous to Be a Husband”), again with Gayten backing, actually owes more to the New York brand of “race music” he previously popularized than to New Orleans. But they’re definitely worth a second listen. Chubby Newsome was a popular female club act who Paul Gayten tapped for DeLuxe. Her initial release “Hip Shakin’ Mama” was a national number one hit, but unfortunately the acetate has been lost and is unavailable here. Nevertheless, “Back Bitin’ Woman” and “Bed Room Blues” were just as satisfying, as Gayten seems to have finally tapped the flavor of New Orleans. Interestingly, Newsome’s last DeLuxe session from 1949 was put in the hands of the up-and-coming Dave Bartholomew, and her two sides very much flaunted the Crescent City beat. Newsome wasn’t the first female to record for Bartholomew as Jewel King recorded a year earlier, but her sultry tracks were initially shelved. King and Bartholomew would break through once they transferred to Imperial and struck with the hit “3 x 7 = 21.” Bartholomew has a couple solo tracks here (with the nucleus of his phenomenal New Orleans band) which would signal greater things to come, especially “She’s Got Great Big Eyes (and Great Big Thighs).” Mastered from original acetates, the sound here is to die for. Highly enjoyable and historically important. Musically, this was the initial invitation to the New Orleans party.