Sam And The Soul MacHine - Po'k Bones and Rice (2002)

Within every major and minor hotbed of soul music there will always be a veritable treasure trove of undiscovered gems and funk classics from bands that should have made it big, but for one reason or another didn't. New Orleans proves to fall along these lines, producing a lineage of undiscovered funk talent that rivals any major U.S. city during the '70s. This particular release in the massive Funky Delicacies campaign to reissue this particular era focuses on keyboardist and bandleader Sam Henry and his Soul Machine's output from 1968 to 1974. It's an 18 song compilation chock-full of funk delights that will please and appease crate diggers and beat junkies; the performances are top notch and feature some of New Orleans' most underrated and sorely overlooked musicians. While definitely not for the casual funk enthusiast, diehards will rejoice that another city's treasures have gone unearthed, and could easily warrant shelf space in their collections. © Rob Theakston