About Funny Fellows

Funny Fellows old-time jazz and swing band was founded in Slovakia by cornet and fiddle player Roman Feder. Roman founded his first band as a student in 1987 playing bluegrass and country music in highly censored Communist Czechoslovakia. As all artists under the Communist yoke, he wanted to be able to to play without interference from the authorities. Roman's chance meeting with Santa Cruz guitarist and dobro player Bob Brozman on one of his European tours inspired him to do just that.

And Funny Fellows was born.

 

Jazz was considered decadent and capitalist by the Communist overseer, but Roman found that he and his band were able to fly under the radar playing the high-energy Swing of the roaring 20’s and 30’s. Their quest to stay true to Swing and Jazz styles from the period and using authentic instruments and a high-octane performance style all add to the band’s draw.

 

Since their mainstream debut at the Bratislava Istropolis in Slovakia in 1994, the 5-member band has played live concerts, TV and radio shows as well as Music Festivals all across Central Europe. The band has also travelled overseas for international performances including a 2001 tour in North America with concerts in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Youngstown, Baltimore and Washington DC. With 10 published albums under their belt, and a new one on the way, the Funny Fellows road trip is just getting started.