it was not long ago when tramp records founder tobias kirmayer discovered his love for jazz and its colorful varieties. his general affection for the analog recording technique is as evident as on the compilations predecessor‚ 'contemporary funk.' if you are familiar with the aforementioned album, you know that the focus is not only about the production/sound of the late 1960s but in at least the same extent on bands which have not yet had much musical output, if any.

this, however, has nothing to do with the quality of the songs or the abilities of the musicians. for example, the cultures of rrhythm was nominated as jazz ambassadors of the united states in 2007. or the sugarman 3 have been professionally working in the music business for more than 15 years. connecting all bands is the deeply rooted love for jazz. what counts for them is that it all comes from the heart. therefore it is not surprising that despite the rich history of jazz recordings, their creativity and songwriting skills lead them to beautiful musical endeavors. indeed, they come close to touching the garment of jazz giants like john & alice coltrane, pharaoh sanders or jimmy smith.

so the goal is quite obvious, this compilation is about to present a fine selection of handpicked songs to accomplish an even more unique mission: to prove that creative minds are still on this planet to keep real jazz alive - and 'contemporary jazz' is a testament to that

check out some reviews by the likes of craig charles funk/soul show, dom servini and more
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side a:
1. the cultures of rhythm - bodhisvattva wonderful sound (4:34) prev. unreleased
2. das goldene zeitalter feat. bajka - a vision part1 (5:04)
3. eli sundelson - rockridge kids (2:52) prev. unreleased
4. deep jazz - starlings talk (4:00) prev. unreleased
5. wayne bartlett - sènor blues (5:41)
side b:
6. primo and the groupe - a child runs free (4:40)
7. sugarman 3 - sugar's boogaloo (3:04)
8. nick rossi set - sweet tater pie (3:57)
9. the hi-fly orchestra - gettin' down (3:59)
10. hipnosis - hier kommt die laterne (3:34) prev. unreleased

the funk on this compilation is contemporary but the message of funk is as old as humanity itself. funk as tramp records sees it is a vibrant and viable music that was born from a transformative period in american history - the sound of the growing pains of a young country. 'contemporary funk' gathers inspired bands from today whose hearts still beat for funk's timeless truth, and connects them with this rich legacy of american music.

today, the rhythm and earnestness of true funk can be found in all corners of the world. and this compilation is evidence that the innocence and purity of the original message remains strong. affectation and phoniness can't seem to take hold in funk as long as the unenlightened or uninitiated players aren't trying to wah-wah their way through one-dimensional cartoon-like clichés. afro wigs and 'booty' references only help to reinforce racist stereotypes and obstruct funk from realizing it's true potential as an uplifting music for all the people of the world.

'contemporary funk' assembles bands which hearts beat for the original, raw soul sound they want to keep alive in its original form. the sugarman 3, whose former musicians are now members of the famous dap-kings (of sharon jones fame) are included just as will holland (quantic soul orchestra). also finlands no.1 funk band, the soul investigators (of nicole willis fame) are to be found within some more heavy acts. however, the aim was to focus on new bands on the scene such as derobert & the half-truths, the funk revolution or the ben martin trio, to name a few. original funk music lives on in the 21rst century - and ‚contemporary funk' is a great proof for that.

check out some reviews by the likes of jazzman gerald, craig charles funk/soul show and more
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side a:
1. derobert & the half-truths - fallin’ in debt (1:58)
2. the fantastics - chicken lickin’ (3:38)
3. big joe louis & soul investigators - gogo train (2:50)
4. karachi prison band - put some grit in it pt.1 (3:02)
5. the funk revolution - izzy come, izzy go (4:29)
6. the qualitons - one man song (5:00)
side b:
7. mauri bailey - soul pop (2:40)
8. the neapolitans - hakusha (3:32)
9. tynnes well & the magic fountains - stop the madness
10. the unstoppable s. robinson & his marvelaires - humpin’ (5:40)
11. ben martin trio - brasil no.7 (3:54)

"you're a jazz group. you have been together for two and a half years. you play here; you play there, you start happening. you've got a dancing, grooving beat that keeps people coming back. you're "out of sight". you're called the hi-fly orchestra (THFO).
only one and a half years after the successful debut album THFO strikes back. again, the tunes have been recorded live on a 16-track tape machine, delivering an authentic and original sound. although the band consists of six men, one man is responsible for keeping the group at performance peak when sideman leave and others take their place - one man holds everything together and was responsible for forming the group - the leader and sax/flute player, florian riedl. instrumentally, the sound effects and expressions are achieved by the use of flute, saxophone, trombone, piano, congas, double-bass and drums, a particularly good combination of instruments to gain a great effect.
this album is not completey jazz-oriented, but it displays the variety of the talents of the band. it will let you hear and feel what is to be expected from them. the hi-fly orchestra are happening … you can happen with them.

check out some reviews by the likes of jazzman gerald, craig charles funk/soul show and more
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side a:
1. afro-boo
2. hi-fly stomp
3. chove chuva (feat. mirian aida)
4. crosstown traffic
5. the new b!
side b:
6. carioquinha
7. polonesa (feat. mirian aida)
8. mrs. shing-a-ling
9. mambo atomico

(cd available on ajabu records!)

"zozo," taken from the goun and fon word for "something hot," truly keeps the afrobeat fires burning. a 13-piece ensemble from new york city, zozo afrobeat features musicians from around the world and is led by african music luminary kaleta. born in the republic of benin and raised in nigeria, kaleta grew up recording and performing with legendary nigerian musicians fela kuti and king sunny ade. after moving to the U.S., kaleta toured with femi kuti and most recently with lauryn hill.

with zozo afrobeat, kaleta's music pays homage to the greats, and yet has its own distinctive sound and energy. like fela kuti, who used his music to challenge a corrupt nigerian government, kaleta has written songs that are socially and politically provocative. at the same time, his lyrics reflect a keen sense of humor and a message of hope. on zozo afrobeat's 2007 release, "country of guns", kaleta scatters pop-culture references and marvels of a country with "250 million people and 250 billion guns." on other songs, kaleta sings in yoruba, goan, fon and french.

on stage, kaleta displays remarkable energy - singing, dancing, playing guitar and percussion. the band responds accordingly, delivering cascades of horns, hypnotic benino-nigerian rhythms, and captivating solos. zozo afrobeat has played at the lincoln center "out of doors" festival, the brooklyn museum and various clubs in the new york area.

click here for a recent interview with kaleta (in german) or here for an older one (in english).
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side a:
1. get up (9:42)
2. baba nla iya (intense suffering) (11:31)
side b:
3. shake your nyansh (10:16)
4. fimile (leave me alone) (10:34)

after having released two impressive deep funk compilations (movements 1 & 2) on munich's perfect toy records, tobias kirmayer is back with a different batch of grooves for you. it's good to see that someone so well regarded in the 'deep funk' scene is also able to compile such a stunning and diversified selection. the styles stretch from hip-hop to latin-grooves, from jazz-breaks to afro-blue-eyed-soul! tobias proves once again that he should be regarded not just for his work in the deep funk field, but even more as an open-minded guy who is truly passionate about any kind of music done with soul.
so come on, press the 'play' button and immerse yourself into a totally stunning mix of tracks you may have not expected to hear. this is tobias other side, something you'll even be surprised by, selected tracks for your listening pleasure that show the widest of musical roots. fellows, join us, this is tobias doing HIS thing!

just to mention, all songs on this compilation have been fully licensed. also both cd and lp contain liner notes with interesting details about the featured songs. so, in case you dig the soundsnippets below we would really appreciate your support. we people who run small, independent labels need your help! please do not copy or download our releases illegally, simply buy them and give us the chance to continue our work. thank you!
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side a:
1. intro
2. nitesounds - get clean
3. skin williams & his dominoes - skins funk
4. the blenders - nothin' but a party (edit)
5. the boogoos - bubbles (edit)
6. the hi-fly orchestra - violet
side b:
7. dr. sonnenschein - get high
8. dusty feat. carla vallet - rhythmo
9. caldonia - barbados stew
10. saegaflex & rudy tee - first time around
11. baccarola - trip to afrika
12. outro (cd bonus track)