Heliocentrics, Mulatu Astatke - Inspiration Information 3
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Heliocentrics, Mulatu AstatkeEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2009-04-14
Music Label: Strut Records
Free Music Notes for Inspiration Information 3
Free Music Review: Ethio-Jazz in the 21st Century - excellent!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is easily one of the best new CD's I have heard, and will undoubtedly get a lot of play from me.
I had been looking forward to this one since I heard Mulatu Astatqe was recording a new album. I had high expectations and it does not disappoint! I found out about Mulatu through Ethiopiques Vol. 4, which features his recordings from the late 60's and early 70's, recorded in Ethiopia. I am not familiar with the Jim Jarmush film or the soundtrack, so I can't comment on those. I saw Mulatu live in Los Angeles in ealy 2009 with a band comprised of Bennie Maupin, Phil Rainey, Azar Lawrence, and other top LA jazz musicians, and the show was excellent.
I was not familiar previously with the Heliocentrics. I am assuming their name is inspired by Sun Ra. On this album Mulatu plays mostly piano, although he is also a very gifted vibes player. This CD is an update of the "Ethio-jazz" (his term) of the earlier recordings, melding it with newer funk, fusion and hip-hop rhythms and sounds.
There are many examples of Afro-Jazz which meld western elements with primarily West African elements. This stands out, in no small part, because it incorporates music from the Horn of Africa. The proximity to the Middle East and North Africa is quite evident in Ethiopian music, particularly in the vocal styles. Track one of the album includes vocals from an Ethiopian singer, and is one of the album's highlights (there are no "lowlights").
Although the Ethiopian elements do add a certain exoticism to the music, this is an album that should be easily enjoyed by any fans of funk, Afro-pop, or jazz fusion with an open mind.
Do check this one out, and spread the word!
Also, do check out the Ethiopiques series, which is available on Amazon:
Vol. 4 features Mulatu Astatqe's band from the 1970's. See my review! - Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974
Vol. 1 features various artists and focuses on vocal popular music - Ethiopiques, Vol. 1: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music
Vol. 14 features saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya. A friend saw this guy in NYC last year and says he was awesome! Ethiopiques, Vol. 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax
Inspiration Information 3 Poster
The third in STRUT's Inspiration Information studio collaboration series brings together an intriguing pairing between one of Africa's greatest and most innovative bandleaders, MULATU ASTATKE, with the next level musicianship of THE HELIOCENTRICS collective from the mighty roster of STONES THROW / NOW AGAIN.Known primarily through the successful 'Ethiopiques' album series and the film soundtrack to JIM JARMUSCH's 'Broken Flowers', Mulatu Astatke is one of Ethiopia's foremost musical ambassadors. His selfstyled Ethio-jazz sound flourished during the "Swinging Addis" era of the late '60s as he successfully fused Western jazz and funk with traditional Ethiopian folk melodies. The Heliocentrics have become known as one of the UK's foremost free-thinking collectives of musicians, inspired by a wide palette covering SUN RA, JAMES BROWN, DAVID AXELROD and all manner of psych, Afro and Eastern sounds. The collective have featured on records by MADLIB and DJ SHADOW and are now a fixture within the Stones Throw / Now Again roster, they forged their own genre-breaking directions in the astral analogue groove on their 2007 debut album, 'Out There'.International Music CDs
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