Germany’s TRAMP RECORDS have just released their second ‘FEELING NICE’ compilation. Like the first one it’s been complied by Tobias Kirmayer and Daniel Wanders and it contains a generous 16 tracks – all hard hitting, rough-hewn examples of authentic American funk.
The Bavarian crate diggers have unearthed a treasure trove of obscurities and rarities (in some cases less than 50 copies of the record were ever pressed up to be used as radio demos). However obscurity doesn’t always equate with poor quality. All the music here is top notch and never made the grade for all kinds of complicated reasons – usually poor marketing, shady distribution deals and the spectre of payola!
Standout track is an energetic version of James Brown’s ‘I Got You’ which the artists – the Duffy Jackson Orchestra have renamed ‘I Feel Good’. It’s a tight and breezy big band workout with some wild Hammond and a tortured vocal from the wonderfully named Johnny Apollo. Check out too Allen Matthew’s ‘Allen’s Party’ – one of those great “live” party type recordings. (Allen, by the way, honed his guitar licks in the James Brown Band)
The set’s a great mix of raucous vocals and loose and leggy instrumentals like ‘Jellyfish’ from the Soul Dukes…. find out more @ www.tramprecords.com
