[RATING: 5]
Tramp’s run of triumphs continues as the German label underlines its reputation for re-releasing quality rare-as-fuck funk and soul once more – thanks to the talents of label owner and groove detective, Tobias Kirmayer. The career of Carl ‘Sherlock’ Holmes’ began in the early sixties with Carl Holmes & The Commanders, a group which disbanded in 1966 or thereabouts after a short period gigging with some guy called Jimi Hendrix who apparently later went on to be a big rockstar or something. Apparently undismayed by the lack of continued partnership with Hendrix, Holmes (no mean guitarist himself) put together a rhythm section and dropped Investigation No. 1. For years Investigation No. 1 has been a highly sought-after collection of slow-burning soul songs (Close To You), latin-funky grooves (Investigation), hard-edged soul jazz cuts (Modesa), and even harder edged funk fire Get Down Philly Town and Black Bag. Four of the tracks off the album have been previously re-released as 45 rpm singles by Tramp in the last year and even these are hard to come by which gives you some measure of exactly how sought-after this material is. The album is now re-released on cd and includes a bonus track that was previously only released on 45 – The Pot’s Hot. Indeed it is.
(Out now on Tramp Records)
03 Black Bag by Shout! Productions Japan
CARL SHERLOCK HOLMES INVESTIGATION – INVESTIGATION NO.1 by Shout! Productions Japan