New York–Addis– London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965–1975

Keyboardist, vibra¬phone player and bandleader Mulatu Astatke was an early subject for Francis Falceto’s acclaimed Éthiopiques series, and 14 fine examples of his atmospheric early–70s Ethiopian jazz filled its fourth volume. This new collection for the Strut label – which last year recorded him with London psych–jazzers the Heliocentrics – has a considerable overlap, including eight tracks from the Éthiopiques set. However, that leaves another dozen thrilling pieces that are less familiar. Unlike many Ethiopian musicians who absorbed Western jazz and funk influences in Addis via imported LPs, Astatke experienced the music at first–hand, studying at Trinity and Berklee Colleges in London and Boston respectively – and it shows. This compilation is drawn from a wider range of recordings than Falceto’s compilation, and there are excellent liner notes by Soundway’s Miles Cleret, They help us track the development of his Ethio– jazz experiment, from his first recordings in the UK in 1965 to his emergence back in Addis as one of the great band leaders in the final years of Haile Selassie’s reign – via his innovative fusions recorded in New York for the Worthy label. Balancing rich, dense jazzy instrumentals with some of his arrangements for leading Ethiopian singers such as Tilahun Gessesse, the album’s most interesting tracks are the surprising Latin– tinged fusions with the Ethiopian Quartet – on tracks such as ‘The Girl From Addis Ababaj in which Rio collides with Addis somewhere in a New York barrio.

All in all, this is an excellent collection underlining what we already knew from the Éthiopiques collection with fresh insights into how the majestic sound of Astatke’s best– known Ethiopian recordings evolved.