Review: Emehoy Tsege Mariam Gebru is perhaps an unlikely jazz hero: an Ethiopian nun who became renowned in her home country for the quality of her piano playing. In fact, her first album - the holy grail Spielt Eigene Kompositionen - was recorded and released in Germany during the 1960s via the patronage of the country's emperor, Haile Sellasie. Here the album appears on CD for the first time. It's worth picking up, not least for the quality of her compositions and playing, which mix Ethiopian and Western musical modes and subtly reference the much better-known and widely celebrated works of Erik Satie. A genuine gem that's finally available in crystal-clear audio at an affordable price.
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