MULATU ASTATKE 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Mulatu Astatke's 1972 album Mulatu of Ethiopia stands as a seminal work introducing listeners to the innovative sounds of Ethio-jazz. Born out of Mulatu's unique blend of Ethiopian melodies with Western instruments and influenced by his experiences in Boston and New York, the album exudes a captivating fusion of styles, as Mulatu's mastery of the vibraphone, paired with organ, flute and horns creates a mesmerising sonic landscape across seven tracks. Straying from traditional Ethiopian vocal-centric music, Mulatu's instrumental compositions showcase his singular vision. The album's reissue provides a deeper understanding of its creation, with additional outtakes revealing the bandleader's meticulous direction and experimentation. Over the years, Mulatu's influence has extended beyond jazz, inspiring artists across genres and spurring renewed interest in his timeless work.

Review: Ethio Jazz reissue from the Godfather of Ethiopian Jazz Mulatu Astatke.

Review: Because of the savage delays during the pandemic year, it feels like Record Store Day 2020 has only just finished. But we go again with this year's celebration of all things waxy with another wealth of exciting releases, special editions and reissues (as well as plenty that are less desirable, as per.)
This one is a crucial one though - Mochilla's Timeless series reignites with a recordings from the famed Ethiopian artist when he played with Los Angeles jazz cat veterans. It's an album of visionary echo-jazz from front to back.

Review: Last year, Strut reissued the earliest albums in Mulatu Astatke's catalogue - 1966's "Afro-Latin Soul Part 1 & 2". This quality collection from Buda Musique picks up the story three years later, when the man who would become known as the "Godfather of Ethiopian Jazz" was beginning to establish himself as a true pioneer. The compilation draws on work recorded between 1969 and '74 in Boston, New York and London, most of which explores Astatke's unique and distinctive fusion of turn-of-the-'70s US jazz, dancefloor-friendly jazz-funk, Afro-Cuban rhythms and traditional Ethiopian music. While some of the recordings are fiendishly fuzzy and lo-fi, there's no arguing with the quality of Astatke's composition, playing and production. In fact, it's a near perfect introduction to his now familiar "Ethio-jazz" style.

Review: These days, Mulatu Astatke is widely considered to be the "Godfather of Ethiopian jazz". Yet when he recorded the two-part "Afro-Latin Soul" album in 1966, he'd just left music college in Boston. As this fine reissue proves, Astatke was years ahead of the game. While rooted in American jazz from the period, all 19 tracks (both albums have been compiled on to a single disc for this edition) draw heavily on Cuban jazz, in particular, as well as Ethiopian musical traditions. In truth, the latter aspect doesn't come through quite as strongly as you'd perhaps expect, though some of the album's highlights - the brilliant "Soul Power" in particular - draw more heavily on the percussive polyrhythms of Africa. Regardless, this is a superb set of forward-thinking global jazz that delivers high quality entertainment from start to finish.

Review: According to those with more knowledge than us, Mulatu Astatke is one of Ethiopia's most influential musicians. He left the country to study abroad in the early 1960s, eventually settling in New York. It was there where he recorded the legendary Mulatu of Ethiopia, a set that helped define what the musician called "Ethio-jazz". Here Strut Records have given the 1972 set - original of copies of which change hands for phenomenal sums of money - the reissue treatment, delivering both stereo and mono mixes of the album's seven sparkling tracks. Although influenced by his Ethiopian upbringing and a deep love of Latin jazz, the album's major inspirations - think jazz-funk, psychedelia and Blaxploitation soundtracks - are all American.

Review: While many avid Mulatu fans will no doubt already own a copy of the master's first - and perhaps most ingenious - work from 1972, one can certainly rely on the mighty Strut to put together a fine reissue. Of note, unlike the many versions which have been retrained by Worthy Records over the years, this new take includes many little extras that are special enough to tempt even the most munitioned Mulatu collectors; aside from seven tracks from Mulatu Of Ethiopia, an utterly inimitable psychedelic jazz journey that defined Ethiopia's entire sound in relation to the genre, this new version includes a whole selection of previously unheard cuts. There are mono album mixes of all the original tunes plus a wide selection of 'takes' from the original recording session, so this LP should have no problem in working up a bit of hype and hysteria from the original-pressing-junkies. This is an essential, highly recommended!

Review: Generally accepted as the father of Ethio jazz, Mulatu Astatke releases his first studio album in over twenty years through Strut. Mulatu Steps Ahead signals somewhat of a new approach for the veteran who also engages with western jazz in favour of his more familiar, native style that has made him such a pioneering artist during the 60s and 70s. Having been making jazz music for the last 50 years, Mulatu Astatke has worked with some of the greats of the jazz world. On this album, he recorded with members of the Either/Orchestra in Boston, with members of The Heliocentrics and some of the UK's leading jazz and African players whilst also adding contributions by traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis. The album follows on from the success of both the acclaimed Inspiration Information collaboration and recent Strut compilation, New York "Addis " London.
Mulatu Steps does not focus on his past roots however, indeed much of it was recorded in the States. The result is a more traditional sounding jazz record than we are used to from him. But that is not to say there is less intrigue and personality woven into it though. In fact, each track on the album tells its very own story. Opener "Radcliffe" reflects on his time as a lecturer at Harvard University.
"Assosa" adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes of North-Western Ethiopia, "Mulatu's Mood" re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early 1990s into a new swinging Afro high life arrangement and "Derashe" deals with the traditional diminishing scales of the Derashe people of Southern Ethiopia. Although different from his previous work, Mulatu Astatke continues to keep jazz fresh, contemporary and up to date whether it’s African or American. Let’s just hope it’s not another twenty years until his next studio album.

Review: 'Ethio Jazz' on L'Arome is mad grooves from the Ethiopian scene of the 70s by the
enigmatic Astatke Mulatu, plus some of the other extra-cool artists of that country's
groundbreaking soul and funk scene. Mulatu plays Fender Rhodes, and organ, featuring
Fekade Amhede.

Review: Mulatu Astatke is a legendary musician who is famous for his signature playing on the vibraphone. Here he blends his Ethio-jazz sounds with the Melbourne-based group Black Jesus Experience to serve up a mix of re-interpreted African folk songs and odes to his homeland. 'To Know Without Knowing' has a decidedly hip hop edge thanks to the vocal flow and 'Mascaram Setaba' is an Ethio classic. Another highlight is 'Living On Stolen Land' which is dedicated to the First Nations people of Australia and acknowledges the pain and injustice of them not being recognised as the traditional owners of Australia.

Review: Another weighty slab of Ethiopian music history from Mr Bongo... First up is the hugely influential fusionist Mulatu Astatke with the Latin-meets-Afro jam "Assiyo Bellema". Loaded with frenetic guitars and mesmerising drum work from Frank Holder, this was actually recorded during Mulatu's time in London. Flip for an equally influential force in Ethiopian music: Soul Ekos Band affiliate Teshome Meteku with a more traditional local sound, Teshome's yearning insistent vocals wrap around the horns and tight drums like fog around a mountain. Captivating.