The Squid's Ear Magazine

Diplomats, The

We Are Not Obstinate Islands

Diplomats, The : We Are Not Obstinate Islands (Clean Feed)


 

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Personnel:



Rob Brown-alto saxophone

Steve Swell-trombone

Harrs Eisenstadt-drums


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UPC: 5609063000610

Label: Clean Feed
Catalog ID: CF061
Squidco Product Code: 6451

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2006
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardstock foldover

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.
" "Like new fire / Burning us down to the roots, past the roots". These are the first two verses of the poem by Geral Schwartz that inspire this record. And Fire Music this is indeed, as the press call to free jazz and its heirs in the present scene. Rob Brown, Steve Swell and Harris Heisenstadt, the three Diplomats, are really "burned down to the roots", and that means they are true followers of the New Thing. An alto sax, a trombone and a drumkit, here is a combo reduced to its bones. They don't need more to acomplish their incendiary activity. Listening to "We Are Not Obstinate Islands", you'll find that more colors and timbres would turn things out of proportion and even explosive (in an Albert Ayler manner), and that's not the agenda of this trio. They prefere slow primer cords that enable to see the flames sparkling and forming. Both Brown and Swell need time to phrase and develop their ideas, and there's no hurries in this CD. This is intense music, but without flashes and booms. They don't want to devastate, only to enlight. At the end, maybe only ruins will last, but that's not the final purpose. What really matters is the process of fire consumption. That's fluid engineering what we hear Heisenstadt doing with the sticks, clicking and poping all the way through. And you bet it's hot..."-Clean Feed

Artist Biographies

"Rob Brown (born February 27, 1962) is an American free jazz saxophonist and composer.

Rob was born in Hampton, VA. He started playing saxophone at the age of 12 or 13. His first gigs were with a local Virginia and swing band. He eventually studied at Berklee College for two years and worked privately with both Joe Viola and John LaPorta. After a year on the west coast, Brown bounced back to Boston, where he met pianist Matthew Shipp. He moved to NY in 1984 where he enrolled at New York University, earned a music degree, and studied with saxophone masters such as Lee Konitz, but the teacher who had more influence on Rob conceptually was Philadelphian Dennis Sandole. Rob took the train to Philly once a week to study with him for a year and a half.

His first issued recording was the duet with Shipp Sonic Explorations and since then has been actively leading groups or working as a sideman with Shipp, William Parker, Whit Dickey, Joe Morris and Steve Swell.

He is a 2001 CalArts/Alpert/Ucross Residency Prize winner and has received many Meet The Composer Fund grants. In 2006 Rob was awarded a Chamber Music America New Works grant."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Brown_(saxophonist))
3/25/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Born in Newark, NJ, Steve Swell has been an active member of the NYC music community since 1975. He has toured and recorded with many artists from mainstreamers such as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich to so called outsiders as Anthony Braxton, Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor and William Parker. He has over 40 CDs as a leader or co-leader and is a featured artists on more than 100 other releases. He runs workshops around the world and is a teaching artist in the NYC public school system focusing on special needs children.

Swell has worked on music transcriptions of the Bosavi tribe of New Guinea for MacArthur fellow, Steve Feld in 2000. His CD, "Suite For Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers" (CIMP) ranked number 2 in the 2004 Cadence Readers Poll. He has also received grants from USArtists International in 2006, MCAF (LMCC) awards in 2008 and 2013 and has been commissioned twice on the Interpretations Series at Merkin Hall in 2006 and at Roulette in 2012.

Steve was nominated for Trombonist of the Year 2008 & 2011 by the Jazz Journalists Association, was selected Trombonist of the Year 2008-2010 , 2012 and 2014-2015 by the magazine El Intruso of Argentina and received the 2008 Jubilation Foundation Fellowship Award of the Tides Foundation. Steve has also been selected by the Downbeat Critics Poll in the Trombone category each year from 2010-2016.

Steve is presently a teaching artist through the American Composers Orchestra, Healing Arts Initiative , Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center (Bronx), the Jazz Foundation of America and Leman Manhattan Preparatory School.

Steve was also awarded the 2014 Creative Curricula grant (LMCC) for the project: "Metamorphoses: Modern Mythology in Sound and Words" which was taught in a month long residency at Baruch College Campus High School in Manhattan."

-Steve Swell Website (http://www.steveswell.com/SteveSwellBio.htm)
3/25/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Down To The Roots

2. Past The Roots

3. The Unsure Of Our Times

4. The Unsure Of Our Answers

5. Buoyed In Great Days

Related Categories of Interest:

Clean Feed
Improvised Music
Jazz
July 2006
Trio Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Clean Feed.


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The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

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