"Destination...Get Down!" by the DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND is a mixture of instrumental jazz, funk, 60's garage rock and a touch of soul. The album opener 'Smash Up' sort of reminds me what you would get if you mixed MORPHINE, CAKE (not literally) and a bunch of obscure bands from the early Crypt catalog. The song focuses around a catchy and funky guitar lick that reminded me of something off the first CAKE record.

Around this is some tastefully B-3 work and some accents from a baritone sax. The next song "Knock A Piece Off'' starts of with some funky guitar that is reminiscent of JOHN SCOFIELD, not quite as interesting, but still good. These first two songs set the tone for the rest of the album. A lot of Hammond B-3 with the guitar and the bass holding down the rhythm with various stabs thrown in by the sax player. Overall these guys are real good jazz fusion players who seem to have been playing together for some time. My real problem with this record is that it is not all that interesting. You would think with a name like THE DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND you would get more of a trip/hop funked up influenced jazz record. Instead what you get is something you might have heard playing in a grocery store in the 60's. After the second song I had lost most of my interest. By the fourth song I would have been asleep had I not been at work. This record would have been a lot better if these guys decided to take a few chances and experiment a little. Instead they play it pretty safe. I might recommend this album to a jazz/fusion enthusiast who is looking for some background music while he works in his garage, but not my cup of tea.

- Peters

OFFICIAL SITE: www.thediplomats.org

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