Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu Steps Ahead (Strut) 2LP

Product Description

Strut present a new repress of Mulatu Astatke’s comeback studio album from 2010, ‘Mulatu Steps Ahead’. Following his acclaimed collaboration on Strut with The Heliocentrics, the Father of Ethio jazz began to explore new directions in fusions of Western jazz with Ethiopian modes, moving forward the pioneering sound he developed during the ‘60s and ‘70s. For this album, tracks were recorded with members of Either/Orchestra in Boston, with contributions by traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis, members of The Heliocentrics and some of the UK’s leading jazz and African players during the final sessions in London in November 2009.

Each track on the album tells its own story. The reflective, meandering opener, Radcliffe, was composed specifically for the Radcliffe Institute during Mulatu’s time lecturing at Harvard in Boston – the original score is now framed on the wall there. The Way To Nice was written and arranged on the tour bus during Mulatu’s recent French dates – “with this track, you are travelling on a long journey, talking and thinking” explains Mulatu. “It was inspired by the many beautiful places on the coast road around Nice.” Assosa adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes in North-Western Ethiopia and Mulatu’s Mood re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early ‘90s into a new swinging Afro highlife arrangement. “I wanted to use West African styles within this version and try new ways of using the beautiful sound of the kora.” Boogaloo and I Faram Gami I Faram reprise Mulatu classics with new, fuller scores.

The album continued to rejuvenate Mulatu’s career and led to major worldwide tour dates, which have continued until today. He will be touring with his Steps Ahead band throughout 2017.

Tracklist:

A1. Radcliffe
A2. Green Africa

B1. The Way To Nice
B2. Assosa
B3. I Faram Gami I Faram

C1. Mulatu’S Mood
C2. Ethio Blues

D1. Boogaloo
D2. Motherland

Strut STRUT56LP