The Kindest One

Jorga Mesfin is a comparatively new kid on the Ethio-jazz block. The Ethiopian saxophonist also happens to be Mulatu Astatke’s protégé. Although this is his debut album, he began his professional career at 17, founded the group Wudasse and won an award for his soundtrack to the film, Teza. Influenced by John Coltrane among others, his first outing begins with ‘Thanksgiving’: pure mid-period Coltrane, with a long piano solo culminating in the interjections of Mesfin’s soprano sax. The solo accordion of ‘The Portal’ then segues into ‘Longing’, a ruminative number played on soprano again and accompanied by subliminal percussion, full of minor-pentatonic melancholy. ‘Pilgrimage’ is another meditative minimalist piece, built around electric bass, hand drums and handclaps. The title-track is either low-key spiritual jazz or noodling, depending on your taste. On ‘Tizita’, Mesfin gives the tenor sax its sole outing, supported by trumpet, hand drum and organ swells. The final two tracks, ‘Spring Water’ and ‘Ye Abay Gizo’, further underline the taste, discretion and prevalent sense of yearning at work on an album that simmers nicely without ever quite finding its way or coming to the boil.