Diplomats of Solid Sound

Embodying a lightly funky yet profoundly soulful strain of instrumental R&B first shaped by Booker T. & the MG's and the Meters, the Diplomats of Solid Sound affirm both the continued relevance of the Hammond organ in contemporary pop and the presence of dancefloor-oriented soul in Iowa City, IA. The band originated in 1998 when three members of the retro-rock outfit the Bent Scepters—bassist Dustin Connor, guitarist Doug Roberson, and drummer Jim Viner—joined forces with keyboardist Pat White as a side project. Once the Bent Scepters disbanded the following year, Connor, Roberson, and Viner opted to carry on under the Diplomats of Solid Sound name, bringing in Nate "Count" Basinger on keyboards while welcoming occasional contributions from White on record. Their debut single, "Bullfrog Boogaloo," appeared in 2001, followed by the self-released album Instrumental Action Soul on Prescription Records. During the summer of 2002 the group issued a 45 via the garage-rock imprint Estrus Records, which subsequently issued the full-length Let's Cool One in 2003. Saxophonist David Basinger joined for the 2005 release Destination...Get Down!, marking his first appearance on a Diplomats recording. The 2008 effort The Diplomats of Solid Sound Featuring the Diplomettes broadened the ensemble's palette through the addition of vocalists Sarah Cram, Katherine Ruestow, and Abbie Sawyer.