Man, it seems like forever since Tramp Records dropped the last volume of their long-running series curating classic funk, soul, jazz and rnb rarities from the 50s – 70s, though a quick look back at the MB archives reveals it has actually only been just over two years. Still, when you check out the latest collection collated by Tramp’s crate-digger supremo Tobias Kirmayer, you’ll realise just how much you’ve missed the series.
As ever, things are arranged broadly chronologically and the super-rare tracks included are drawn primarily from non-major label, private press runs of 500 copies from back in the day. Don’t make the mistake of assuming this means they weren’t good enough to make the grade for major labels – the stuff contained herein is every bit as good and pretty much the final frontier as far as soul and funk crate-digging go. The Tramp crew has known this forever too, of course (well, twenty-three years or so) and established themselves as guardians of the rare groove flame to ensure these nuggets aren’t doomed to permanent obscurity.
Dropping on double vinyl, the first quarter is made up of soul-jazzy groovers – slo-mo smoocher Crazy by Joe Nathune is the opener, succeeded by the swinging Big Spender-isms of Cleo Jons The Shortest Distance and Leo Teel’s Texas Trader while Roy Beltier takes Summertime in the trippiest direction it’s arguably ever been in. John Laughter & The Third Generation ushers in a stylistic and tempo change with the boogaloo-ish grit of It’s Our Time and then it’s time for a super-raw slice of dusty vintage funk in Tommy Hansley’s Tell ‘Um About It (for which copies trade in the hundreds!) – any chance of a 45 re-press, Tramp? This one’s followed by a brace of two more hot funk cuts – Williams Brothers guitar v horns banger Rap On and the organ-led Time Wait For No One by Robert Crockham. The third and fourth sides consist of three intense soul torch songs (from Mike McCain, Mr D & The High Lights and Thom Eassy) and three disco-funky nuggets. Galaxy’s Dance Wit Me is a horns-drenched, bass poppin’ invitation to display mirrorball-lit antics, while Hawksmith drops the tempo slightly for the disco-stomp of Superman and closer The Bump Is Back by Rick Coates’ is a monster slab of seventies funk and another of this collection’s standouts (any chance of another 45?) along with the Tommy Hansley, Williams Brothers and Freddie Fender cuts. Wait – what now? Freddie Fender? Ah yes – that’ll be the bonus 45 you get when you purchase the full album and it features his rare Latin-funk cut Boogaloo En Monterrey and the psych-funky El Pastel. Oh yes, you very much do!
“Whether…[Kirmayer] has succeeded for the thirteenth consecutive time in captivating listeners, critics, and collectors alike is for others to decide,” speculates the PR blah. The monkey can put that one to bed right now – it’s a definite ‘yes!’ Even better news – “work on Movements Vol. 14 is well underway.”
(Out 6 November on Tramp Records)