Earlier this month, pianist Michael Lott left the Diplomats to join the Mike LeFevre Quartet. The Diplomats have announced that his replacement will be Jeremy Elliot. Corey Pearson gave this statement to the Singing News:

Thanks to everyone who has called and sent in demos for the pianist job. After many demos and auditions, we are pleased to announce the newest member of the Diplomats Quartet, Jeremy Elliot. He has attended Jacksonville University, the Alabama School of Gospel Music and the Steve Hurst School of Music. After obtaining his B.A. in music, he and his wife Kimberly now live in Braselton GA.

The Diplomats announced yesterday that Michael Lott, who has been their pianist for seven years, is leaving the group. The group commented: “We love and appreciate Michael’s time and dedication to this ministry! We pray for Michael and his wife, Ashley, as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.” On Facebook, Michael added:

On a bitter sweet note, I would like to personally announce that I am no longer with the Diplomats Quartet. I have been their piano player for seven years, but that’s not even a drop in the bucket compared to the near lifetime that I’ve known them. I love them dearly and I always will. It’s hard to leave family, but sometimes God has another direction for our lives. I ask that you keep my [wife] and I in your prayers as we go through this time of change together. Thanks and God Bless.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: “Travelers Protected by Grace”: This anthem, penned by Kyla Rowland, is the project’s standout track. Alto Rita Pearson, who sings in a power chest voice style popularized by singers like Vestal Goodman and Libbi Perry Stuffle, nails the arrangement. Many of Rowland’s best lyrics ring with a resounding defiance to the Devil’s schemes. When you’re singing a lyric like that, a tentative or breathy delivery simply won’t tote the mail. The lyric demands vocal authority; Pearson delivers.

2: “I’ll Soon Be Gone”: This song has been done a number of times through the years. The Blackwood Brothers did the song fully convention-style with three-way counterpoint. The Happy Goodmans and several other groups sang a somewhat simplified two-part counterpoint. This arrangement is closer to the Freemans version, which has a bass step-out line or two, but no other counterpoint. Yet if you approach the song for what it is, without devoting undue attention to what it is not as compared to other renditions, it is still a great rendition of a great song. 

3: “God Shall Wipe Away All Tears”: If you’re a fan of Southern Gospel bass singing, and you don’t know about Joseph Brown yet, you are in for a treat. He is one of the best bass singers that (far too close to) nobody knows about. He can bring a warmth reminiscent of Randy Byrd to his upper register, and his lower register rivals the depth of Mike Holcomb’s. He closes the song with the lowest A-flat on the piano, hitting it with an ease that suggests he was far from pushing the limits of his range.

:1: Song Selection: The songs on this album are consistently good. Many are very, very good. There are a handful of truly exceptional songs. The Diplomats already have first-rate production quality and vocal performances; if they can find more exceptional songs for future albums, they already have what it takes to produce a five-star album.

Matt Dibler sang lead with the Inspirations for nine years, starting in 1999, until his sudden resignation from the group the week before NQC 2008. He resurfaced several months later, filling in for Diplomats lead singer Jimmy Pearson when Pearson had to be off the road recovering from heart surgery.

They ultimately asked him to stay on, and he stayed with the group for two years. He just announced via Facebook and on his newly redesigned website that he has resigned from the Diplomats and is launching a solo career. However, he noted on Facebook that he will still appear with the Diplomats on select dates.

I just listened to the Diplomats’ Hymns Vol. 1 CD. Easily the highlight of this CD was a magnificent rendition of “It is Well.”

Pat Barker was their bass at the time; does anyone know if he had the solo? It doesn’t sound like Jimmy or Corey Pearson.

If it’s him, the rendition is a pretty incredible feat for a bass singer. The song is keyed in B-flat, one key below the hymnal standard of C. The singer has a bass-like richness in his voice, even up to the middle C, and doesn’t rely on a single low note to carry the song. Yet I think it may well be a bass solo.

Several days ago, Jimmy Pearson, lead singer and manager for the Diplomats, was admitted to the hospital with chest pains. Diplomats bass singer Joe Brown said that Pearson’s surgery yesterday went well: “The Doctors say all went well and with medications and diet, he should completely recover.”

He added: “The family and Diplomats thanks you for your prayers and concerns for Jimmy for we understand what prayer can do. Please continue your prayers and support.”

I recently had the opportunity to interview Joe Brown, bass singer for the Diplomats Quartet. Here’s the interview: http://www.southerngospelblog.com/features/200808.pdf.

Or, if you’d prefer the text-only version, click “continue reading” and read below the break.

Several weeks ago, I reviewed the Diplomats Quartet’s most recent release, Live in West Virginia. This is a solo project from the most recognizable voice in the group, alto Rita Pearson. Pearson is often compared to Vestal Goodman; as I commented in the Diplomats review, Pearson’s voice captures the raw energy of Vestal Goodman’s younger days, while Libbi Stuffle of the Perrys–the other singer on the Southern Gospel scene most frequently compared to Goodman–captures more of the polish of Vestal in her later years.

Pearson’s energy and enthusiasm shine clearly on this project. It includes several classic Happy Goodmans numbers (“God Walks the Dark Hills,” “What Heaven Means to Me,” and “I Hold a Clear Title”) and several other Southern Gospel classics

The project’s highlights include “What Heaven Means to Me,” a laid-back rendition of “Where the Roses Never Fade,” and the song “Place Called Heaven.”

The rest of the group provides background vocals on the tracks, but does not have any solos. While the project covers little new ground stylistically or in song selection, it is a solid collection of songs performed well by Pearson and the Diplomats.

Available from: The Diplomats.

Rating: Enjoyable. (Updated to 5-star system: 3.5 stars)

The Diplomats, a group based in Carrollton, Georgia, have toured as a regional group for some years. They are now starting to get national recognition, as evidenced by a recent top 10 nomination for Favorite Mixed Group in the Singing News Fan Awards. They have a strong fan base on the Singing News forums, placing second only to the Perrys in this poll (and, surprisingly, garnering more votes than the Hoppers).

Their most recent project, Live in West Virginia, was recorded some time ago at Christ Temple Church in Huntington, West Virginia. The live taping also featured the Mark Trammell Trio; the groups shared recording costs, but split the taping into separate final projects. While the Mark Trammell Trio only released a DVD (Live at the Temple), the Diplomats were set to release both a CD and a DVD. (However, the CD is currently the only of the two listed on their products page.)

This project is a solid mix of new songs, classic Southern Gospel songs, and hymns. Highlights include “Come and Dine,” an energetic rendition of the old hymn, “He Is,” a more energetic song than the Aaron Jeoffrey / Triumphant ballad, and “Joy Comes in the Morning,” a strong closing song for the album.

Bass singer Joseph Brown showcases his impressive range on “Lonesome Road”; he sings down to the F below low C, and retains a solid, enjoyable tone the whole way down. His pleasant tone and strong low end range suggests comparisons to Dove Brothers bass David Hester.

Alto singer Rita Pearson takes the lead on “Holy Hills” and “Brand New Home.” Her voice is often compared to Vestal Goodman’s, and the comparisons are valid. Her rich, thick alto tones give the group a sound reminiscent of the Happy Goodmans, or, more recently, the Perrys.

Several years ago, when the Perrys lost a soprano and added a baritone, switching to a Happy Goodmans-style vocal structure, they found a niche in Southern Gospel that no major group had been filling. The positive response to the change took the Perrys to the top of Southern Gospel. The Diplomats capture a different element of the Happy Goodmans tradition; while the Perrys capture the polish and class of the Happy Goodmans in their later years, the Diplomats capture more of the raw, unbridled enthusiasm of the Goodmans’ earlier years.

This project is one of the best indie or smaller-label Southern Gospel projects released this year.

Available from: The Diplomats.

Rating: Recommended. (Revised: 4 stars of 5)