Back catalogue: International

Review: Another weighty slab of Ethiopian music history from Mr Bongo... First up is the hugely influential fusionist Mulatu Astatke with the Latin-meets-Afro jam "Assiyo Bellema". Loaded with frenetic guitars and mesmerising drum work from Frank Holder, this was actually recorded during Mulatu's time in London. Flip for an equally influential force in Ethiopian music: Soul Ekos Band affiliate Teshome Meteku with a more traditional local sound, Teshome's yearning insistent vocals wrap around the horns and tight drums like fog around a mountain. Captivating.

Review: Last year, Strut reissued the earliest albums in Mulatu Astatke's catalogue - 1966's "Afro-Latin Soul Part 1 & 2". This quality collection from Buda Musique picks up the story three years later, when the man who would become known as the "Godfather of Ethiopian Jazz" was beginning to establish himself as a true pioneer. The compilation draws on work recorded between 1969 and '74 in Boston, New York and London, most of which explores Astatke's unique and distinctive fusion of turn-of-the-'70s US jazz, dancefloor-friendly jazz-funk, Afro-Cuban rhythms and traditional Ethiopian music. While some of the recordings are fiendishly fuzzy and lo-fi, there's no arguing with the quality of Astatke's composition, playing and production. In fact, it's a near perfect introduction to his now familiar "Ethio-jazz" style.

Review: According to those with more knowledge than us, Mulatu Astatke is one of Ethiopia's most influential musicians. He left the country to study abroad in the early 1960s, eventually settling in New York. It was there where he recorded the legendary Mulatu of Ethiopia, a set that helped define what the musician called "Ethio-jazz". Here Strut Records have given the 1972 set - original of copies of which change hands for phenomenal sums of money - the reissue treatment, delivering both stereo and mono mixes of the album's seven sparkling tracks. Although influenced by his Ethiopian upbringing and a deep love of Latin jazz, the album's major inspirations - think jazz-funk, psychedelia and Blaxploitation soundtracks - are all American.

Review: While many avid Mulatu fans will no doubt already own a copy of the master's first - and perhaps most ingenious - work from 1972, one can certainly rely on the mighty Strut to put together a fine reissue. Of note, unlike the many versions which have been retrained by Worthy Records over the years, this new take includes many little extras that are special enough to tempt even the most munitioned Mulatu collectors; aside from seven tracks from Mulatu Of Ethiopia, an utterly inimitable psychedelic jazz journey that defined Ethiopia's entire sound in relation to the genre, this new version includes a whole selection of previously unheard cuts. There are mono album mixes of all the original tunes plus a wide selection of 'takes' from the original recording session, so this LP should have no problem in working up a bit of hype and hysteria from the original-pressing-junkies. This is an essential, highly recommended!

Review: Because of the savage delays during the pandemic year, it feels like Record Store Day 2020 has only just finished. But we go again with this year's celebration of all things waxy with another wealth of exciting releases, special editions and reissues (as well as plenty that are less desirable, as per.)
This one is a crucial one though - Mochilla's Timeless series reignites with a recordings from the famed Ethiopian artist when he played with Los Angeles jazz cat veterans. It's an album of visionary echo-jazz from front to back.

Review: These days, Mulatu Astatke is widely considered to be the "Godfather of Ethiopian jazz". Yet when he recorded the two-part "Afro-Latin Soul" album in 1966, he'd just left music college in Boston. As this fine reissue proves, Astatke was years ahead of the game. While rooted in American jazz from the period, all 19 tracks (both albums have been compiled on to a single disc for this edition) draw heavily on Cuban jazz, in particular, as well as Ethiopian musical traditions. In truth, the latter aspect doesn't come through quite as strongly as you'd perhaps expect, though some of the album's highlights - the brilliant "Soul Power" in particular - draw more heavily on the percussive polyrhythms of Africa. Regardless, this is a superb set of forward-thinking global jazz that delivers high quality entertainment from start to finish.

Review: Ethio Jazz reissue from the Godfather of Ethiopian Jazz Mulatu Astatke.

Review: Mulatu Astatke is a legendary musician who is famous for his signature playing on the vibraphone. Here he blends his Ethio-jazz sounds with the Melbourne-based group Black Jesus Experience to serve up a mix of re-interpreted African folk songs and odes to his homeland. 'To Know Without Knowing' has a decidedly hip hop edge thanks to the vocal flow and 'Mascaram Setaba' is an Ethio classic. Another highlight is 'Living On Stolen Land' which is dedicated to the First Nations people of Australia and acknowledges the pain and injustice of them not being recognised as the traditional owners of Australia.