Date: 2009
Release: STRUT
Cover Art: view / download
Buy the Album

If the name sounds familiar, it may be because Astatke was heavily featured on the Ethiopiques album series (Volume IV is always on heavy rotation during the summer months here at musthear.com HQ). The third record in Strut’s “Inspiration Information” studio collaboration series features a pairing between one of Africa’s great bandleaders, Mulatu Astatke, with the British-based Heliocentrics collective.

Fortunately, this is one “old meets new” project that truly captures the sound of mutual respect. One of Ethiopia’s foremost musical ambassadors, Astatke (he was the first African student at Berklee College of Music) helped create a particular Ethio-jazz sound that flourished during the “Swinging Addis” era of the late ‘60s. No slouches themselves, The Heliocentrics have become one of the UK’s most prominent collectives of musicians, inspired by everyone from Sun Ra and James Brown to David Axelrod.

Here’s a digital promo of album via Strut’s site.

http://www.inspiration-information-3.com/

You can also download a free podcast featuring Astatke discussing the record here.

Players:

• Mulatu Astatke – Piano
• Malcolm Catto – Drums and Piano
• Jake Ferguson – bass and Thai guitar
• Mike Burnham – Modular Synth and Effects
• Jack Yglesias – Flutes, Percussion and Santur
• Adrian Owusu – Guitars, Oud, and Percussion
• James Arben – Clarinet, Tenor and Baritone Sax
• Ray Carless – Alto, Tenor and Baritone Sax
• Max Weissenfeldt – Vibes and Percussion

Date: 1998
Release: BUDA MUSIQUE #829642
Cover Art: view / download
Buy the Album

Musically trained in London and schooled in the club scene of mid-’60s New York, Mulatu Astatke stands as the exceptional musical innovator of the Ethiopian groove. Starting in 1969, he created the first bands independent of the military, which had previously dominated the country’s music scene. Having immersed himself in Caribbean music, funk, jazz and Latin grooves during his lengthy stint abroad, Mulatu returned to his native land to give rise to a brand new sound.

An album of instrumentals, Ethiopiques Volume 4 is a case study in the inventive blending of influences that comprised the Ethiopian groove. Strains of funk and reggae timings permeate the thick and chunky bass lines, which are pushed prominently forward in the mix. Multiple saxophones swirl with the hypnotic, snake-charming sounds of the East, while at the same time resonating with jazzy tones reminiscent of John Coltrane and Lester Young.

Guitar is a main ingredient here, growling with funky distorted wah-pedaled fuzz riffs that sound like they were lifted straight out of an early ’70s black-exploitation flick. Drums and percussion combine the punchy funk of James Brown and the Meters with the heavy Latin rhythms of Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo.

Fusing all of these elements together, Mulatu unleashes a potent brew of afro-jazz grooves that pull you in and leave you in a mystical trance-like state. Whew! Even when the record stops, these mood-inspiring sounds linger on like a drug. Get your head on right, light a candle, sit back, and you too will understand… Tropical in its roots, funky and intoxicating in its impact, Mulatu Astatke‘s distinct brand of Ethiopian music features some of the most soulful hip-grinding instrumentals ever recorded in Mother Africa.