Sketches of Ethiopia Mulatu Astatke

• 1Azmari05:00
• 2Gamo05:15
• 3Hager Fiker06:08
• 4Gambella06:12
• 5Assosa Derache10:03
• 6Gumuz06:30
• 7Motherland Abay08:34
• 8Surma04:42
• 9Surma (Extended Version)05:04
• Total Runtime57:28

Info for Sketches of Ethiopia

Astatke wollte ursprünglich Flugzeugingenieur werden, besann sich aber beim Studium in London auf die Musik und war später der erste afrikanische Student am renommierten Berklee College of Music in Boston. Der erste Beitrag in Roger Willemsens Jazz-Erklär-Hörbuch „My Favourite Things“ aus dem Jahr 2011 ist Mulatu Astatke gewidmet.

Auf „Sketches of Ethiopia“ verbinden Astatke und seine zahlreichen Mitstreiter modernen Groove mit uralten afrikanischen Melodien und westliche Klassik mit Latin- und Afro-Funk-Rhythmen zu einem herrlich farbenreichen Jazz.

„Man nehme ein Land, das nie kolonialisiertwurde und in dem seit Urzeiten Musik gemachtwird. Die Wiege derMenschheit. Äthiopien. 2005 offenbart Regisseur Jim Jarmusch mit seinem Film ›Broken Flowers‹ derWelt einen ihrer verlorenen Schätze: Mulatu Astatke. Seit einem halben Jahrhundert spielt der Vibrafonist und gelernte Perkussionist als Musiker und Arrangeur den Propheten des Ethio-Jazz. Auch mit 70 Jahren predigt er noch fleißig den abessinischen Swing, einen Cocktail aus Jazz, Latino-Rhythmen und traditionellen äthiopischen Klängen.“ (ARTE TV)

Mulatu Astatke, vibraphone, piano, keyboards
Yohanes Afwork, washint
James Arben, flute, oboe, tenor saxophone, clarinet
Messale Asmamow, krar
Richard Olatunde Baker, percussion
John Edwards, double bass, bass
Indris Hassun, masinko
Alexander Hawkins, piano, keyboards
Danny Keane, keyboards, cello
Tom Skinner, drums
Tesfaye, lead vocals (on tracks 2, 4, 6)
Byron Wallen, trumpet
Additional musicians:
Fatoumata Diawara, lead vocals (on track 8)
Francois Cordas, tenor saxophone (on track 5)
Kandia Kora, kora (on tracks 2, 4, 7)
Eric Longsworth, cello (on track 5)
Jean-Baptiste Saint-Martin, guitar (on tracks 2, 5, 6)
Francois Verly, percussion (on tracks 2-8)
Memeru, choir leader

Mulatu Astatke
is one of Ethiopia's major musicians. In the late 1950s, he travelled to London, and later Boston and New York, absorbing jazz and Latin music, recording several LPs (one of which, Mulatu of Ethiopia, has become a legend among DJs in recent years), and eventually bringing both modern jazz and Latin influences and specific instruments back home to Addis Ababa. On piano, organ, vibes and percussion, with his arrangements and compositions, and as an agent provocateur, he became a pivotal figure in a great era of Ethiopian pop and jazz, from 1968 to 1974. To this day, he remains a ubiquitous presence in the Ethiopian music scene, as club owner, music school founder, radio DJ, composer, arranger and instrumentalist.

The Either/Orchestra is among the longest running and most important large ensembles in jazz. Since 1985, under the direction of founding saxophonist/composer Russ Gershon, the ten-piece group has traversed the history and stylistic range of jazz to make great music out of unexpected connections between styles and approaches to music. Like the late Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the E/O has been a kind of graduate school of jazz, whose alumni include John Medeski, Matt Wilson, Josh Roseman and Miguel Zenon, among dozens of other significant players. In 1997, inspired by the work of Mulatu Astatke among others, the E/O began playing their own arrangements of Ethiopian popular music, which garnered them an appearance at the Ethiopian Music Festival in Addis Ababa in January 2004, the first Americans ever invited. In Addis, the group met Mulatu and invited him to play on their concert, with results that surprised and delighted the audience and critics. Since that time, the E/O and Mulatu have performed together in the UK, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Canada and the US.

Booklet for Sketches of Ethiopia