Ethiopiques Vol 26

This latest release in the long running Éthiopiques series is very much a game of two halves. The opening five tracks, from Mahmoud Ahmed's early singing career, back in the Addis Ababa of the 60s, are slightly dry offerings, ether inaccessible or simply not among his best. This appears to be because of the chronology of the original releases – the series intends to reissue all of Mahmoud's back catalogue in order. Selling music in the current climate is hard enough, and it's possible potential new listeners might well be put off if they only flick through the opening tunes to get a taste. It's not until ‘Tezeta’ that things start to pick up. One might wonder how many versions of this standard there can be, but the sparse arrangement and loping piano line spur the track into territories more reminiscent of Sun Ra or Moondog. A burst of horns that sounds like a warped New Orleans funeral march seals the deal.

From here on in, we're back in familiar territory, with the selection laying out a full spectrum of Ahmed's vocal range and the band's deftness and stylistic flexibility. ‘Kantchi Gar Kalhoné’ barrels along, fuelled by eerie Farfisa organ chords, stark drum patterns and a mean bassline. Another highlight is funk gem ‘Além Além’ and the melancholic jazz of the closer ‘Endét Lelèfèw, that melds minor-key strings and brass to underpin Ahmed's yearning vocal. There's apparently one final Mahmoud compilation planned for the series. Here's hoping they end on a high note.