Joseph Diamond – Not Your Typical New Yorker
Not Your Typical New Yorker
Joseph Diamond
(Basileus)
by Ricky Miller
Joseph Diamond is a man with a mission, and he has the tools to accomplish it. He is persistent, talented, tenacious, and did I mention persistent? His new CD was released on his own independent label, Basileus, and Diamond’s persistence has gotten it stocked in some major locations. The fact that the album jams probably helps his cause a little bit too.
The CD is entirely original, a mark in his favor, and the music is entirely enjoyable. A mixture of smooth and Latin-jazz genres, it is very uptempo and melodic. His style is reminiscent…of what? I don’t exactly know. Many of the songs already sounded like old friends to me. The title cut is very reminiscent of the Sample / Crusaders era, Diamond’s melodies dancing and teasing across the keyboard.
A Lot of the stylings on this CD seem to influenced by the bright, bouncy phrasing that made Sample so popular, as is evidenced on M&M and Hope. They don’t SOUND like Sample, just his influence. The music is all Joseph Diamond. There is a distinctly Latin side to this release as well. My favorite (so far) is Montoya, the Spanish nickname he got in 1984 while working in Aruba. It has a strong Salsa rhythm and great guitar work and it sticks with you. This is an CD that you tend to leave in for a while.
For more information or to hear audio samples, Visit The Joseph Diamond Web Site.
