Tagged with a band name epitomizing their collective improv propensities, The Diplomats get down to brass tacks on their Clean Feed debut. The pedigrees of the three players make the music pretty easy to peg: ardent free jazz dictated by dramatic twists and turns. Nevertheless, their chosen instrumentation still leaves space for subtle surprises like the detour into low-key balladry that comprises “Past the Root.” Steve Swell’s strong ideological convictions invest the poetry-inspired track titles with timely pertinence, his frequently clenched and hard-bitten trombone reflecting a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the prevailing political climate. Brown is often just as animated on alto, his normally unflappable visage screwed up in a tempestuous expulsion of notes spoken in barbed-tongued bursts. Harris Eisenstadt’s tractable, split-second percussion style ensures that the rhythms roll both fast and fecund, his sticks reacting to and compounding on the serpentine trajectories traced by the horns. A seesawing funk beat here, a fluttering barrage of brushes there; each of his constructions provides the right measure of color coupled with propulsion. On “The Unsure of Our Times”, he fields smoldering testimony from first Swell, then Brown, then the two in tandem, delivering slowly detonating drum commentary that never tires. He’s not averse to dropping out either, leaving the horns to wrestle without a referee on part of “The Unsure of Our Answers.” Together, these three players exchange frills for pointedness, complacency for candor, and come up with a performance that brings into bold focus the merits inherent in the progressive-minded affirmation that works as the disc’s title.
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on July 27, 2006 1:04 PMget an original name, please:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diplomats
Posted by: jon abbey at July 27, 2006 1:25 PMno beats by the heatmakerz or just blaze? man, the dipset's falling off. well, it's gotta be better than that new jr writer garbage.
(sorry, harris)
Posted by: William Hutson at July 27, 2006 1:47 PMI’m sure the Dips’ legal team will get right on filing that name infringement suit, just as soon as they’ve caught up on the Everest-sized backlog of samples-related defense work, say sometime in early 2009.
And given the copious overlap in musical styles between the two bands, it should be a slam dunk case, entitling the Dips to the full royalties from this record (all $127.14 of them).
Found the quotes below from that Wikipedia page particularly educational:
“The Diplomats also have their own brand of liquor, Sizzurp. Although "Sizzurp" as a term has its beginnings in a Three 6 Mafia song about codeine based Syrup, the two drinks are actually unrelated.”
“While criticized for the alleged monotony of their music, they have gained a large cult following since their emergence.”
“In addition to street cred from mixtapes and public events, The Diplomats' image also incorporates their take on the extravagant trappings of a rapper's lifestyle, with expensive jewelry, up to date fashion, and large entourages of beautiful women. Dipset, particularly Cam'ron, is also known for popularizing the use of the color pink, as well as purple in urban men's fashion.”
Posted by: derek at July 27, 2006 5:12 PMthat's the first you've heard of the Diplomats and sizzurp, Derek?
Posted by: jon abbey at July 27, 2006 6:03 PM"Dipset, particularly Cam'ron, is also known for popularizing the use of the color pink, as well as purple in urban men's fashion.”
Yeah, because Prince and many others never popularised purple before that...
And they really should have thought of a more original name for their drink rather than just ripping off Sizzurp!
M
Posted by: Michael at July 28, 2006 4:34 AMSad to answer in the affirmative, Jon. You could fit my knowledge of rap/hip hop onto the head of a thimble. Begins with Sugarhill Gang & Grand Master Flash and pretty much ends w/ De La Soul & Tribe Called Quest circa ’93. Just hasn’t grabbed me as a genre since; then again, I haven’t really been listening.
Posted by: derek at July 28, 2006 6:47 AMSomehow I don't think you should feel sad that you haven't heard of the Diplomats, Derek.
Posted by: Michael at July 28, 2006 7:11 AMWhat you've really missed out on is the sizszzurp derek
Posted by: unwrinkled at July 28, 2006 8:57 AMI'm getting a Diplo tat.
Posted by: Michael Schaumann at July 28, 2006 9:20 AMNow don't get Diplo mixed up with the Diplomats. The former's from Florida, not Harlem. This is getting crazier than people mixing up their Nakamuras with their Takemuras and their John Zorns with their Jonathan Zorns! Well, not really . . .
And how do we know that Derek hasn't already developed his own codeine-based syrup???
Posted by: Michael at July 29, 2006 3:37 AMJim Jones doesn't sound all that original as names go either. Meanwhile the best band name confusion since the Pan Sonic lawsuit has to be the proliferation of Axolotls
http://www.dennisrea.com/axolotl.html
http://www.arthurmag.com/magpie/?p=1037
whereas of course we all know the original and best Axolotl was the late 70s / early 80s French improv trio of Etienne Brunet, Jacques Oger and Marc Dufourd
I've been enjoying this one a lot lately. Brown desrves more recognition than he gets. He's one of the few alto players out there who comes out of Jimmy Lyons - another unsung player.
Posted by: Clay Fink at August 6, 2006 5:16 PMDunno if I'd describe Lyons as all that unsung - though he's still certainly not sung enough in my view - the Ayler Lyons Box received some pretty good press after all. Agreed though that Brown deserves more acclaim. Another unsung hero you could add to your list (also with a Lyons connection) is Marco Eneidi, Clay.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at August 6, 2006 11:21 PM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................