Mulatu Astatke - New York - Addis - London: The Story Of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975 [2LP]

Mulatu Astatke's restless decade of invention comes into focus on New York - Addis - London, a double LP that charts the birth of Ethio-jazz from 1965 to 1975.

Astatke studied music in London and the United States before returning to Ethiopia, and he spent those years fusing traditional Ethiopian scales with jazz, Latin rhythms and funk. This 2009 collection gathers his early recordings from London, his sessions for the Worthy label in New York and his 1970s work in Addis Ababa, tracing how a singular vision took shape. Released years after a new generation discovered him through film soundtracks and crate-digging circles, it became the definitive introduction to his music.

The grooves are irresistible. "Yèkèrmo Sèw" is perhaps his most famous piece, a slinky, smoky vibraphone melody gliding over a steady, hypnotic beat. "Mulatu" and "Shagu" show how naturally he married Ethiopian modes to funk and Latin rhythms, horns and percussion locked in step. "Yègellé Tezeta" brings a melancholy, slow-burning beauty, the pentatonic melodies hanging in the air like late-afternoon heat.

Across two discs, these recordings sound vivid and warm, full of deep bass, bright brass and that distinctive vibraphone shimmer. For anyone curious about African jazz, funk or the roots of countless modern samples, this is an essential first stop.