December 2009

Mulatu Astatke: 'New York-Addis-London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975' (Strut)
Grade: A MINUS

Astatke's "Heliocentrics" album rules because like most fusioneers he's too interested in upward mobility to state the groove in the vulgar manner of a committed dance musician. But hear enough variations on those fermented Ethiopian scales and you'll learn to savor the piquancy of his voicings. Unlike the purely Addis "Ethiopiques 4" collection, which provides eight of these 20 tracks, this overview dips into his montunos and charangas, his flute and steel drum hires, his vibraphone excursions. When I crave those scales straight I may well return to the Abyssinian source. But this is longer -- and more flavorsome as well.

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(Image: Mulatu Astatke/Strut)