Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis

Ethiopiques (Buda Series), Mulatu Astatqe, Either/Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Buda Musique
• ASIN: B000AQ69BS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,946 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Amlak Abét Abét

2. Muziqawi Silt

3. Feqer Aydèlem Wèy

4. Altchalkoum

5. Yèzèmèd Yèbada

6. Soul Tezeta

Disc: 2

1. Eyèyè

2. Antchim Endèléla

3. Kèsét Eswa Betcha

4. Bati [Bass Intro]

5. Bati

6. Shellèla

7. Embi Ba (Gouragué)

Editorial Reviews

Budd Kopman, AllAboutJazz.com

A total triumph as music is shown to be able to bring together diverse peoples in mutual love.

Product Description

The 20th in the critically acclaimed Ethiopiques series, Live in Addis Ababa takes Ethiopiques – and Ethio-jazz – to a new place. The Either/Orchestra, a 10-piece jazz orchestra based in Boston, are among the first non-Ethiopian artists to become serious interpreters of Ethiopian music. Recorded live at a historic concert – the first performance by a U.S. big band in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington in 1973. The results blend state-of-the-art playing and an exotic, captivating Ethiopian program into a kind of Buena Vista Social Club Addis-style, featuring several Ethiopian elder statesmen performing with a big band for the first time since the 1960s, and two younger singers doing so for the first time. Inspired by the great Ethiopian pop and jazz of the ‘60s and ‘70s, the E/O has brought the full array of modern jazz and Afro-Cuban innovations to an Ethiopian repertoire.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best jazz cd of 2005, November 24, 2005

By 

G. McMahon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis (Audio CD)

This is easily the best new jazz cd (or any other type of music) that I've heard this year, perhaps in the last 2 or 3 years. 3/4 of the music is jazz with Ethiopian influences and 1/4 is the reverse. The music is both driving and melodic but never dull or lame. Given the strong mix of brass and a large rhythm section, it is also an excellent road cd. The music is so joyous without being trite that it should satisfy both hard core jazz fans and also be a good cd to try and convert non-jazz fans. Finally, it is a coherent package of music and not just 2 cds of great songs. That is, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, which are already excellent.

5.0 out of 5 stars Often sublime melding of styles, January 15, 2012

By 

Michael Kayser (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ethiopiques, Vol. 20: Live in Addis (MP3 Download)

There are moments of real musical sublimity on this album. It is accessible but never trite. What I like best about it is that it often seems to be blending American jazz idioms with Ethio-Jazz and even Latin melodies -- you get this satisfyingly "fat," sophisticatedly harmonized big band sound which is serving up these juicy and unusual-sounding melodies. Beyond that, the rhythm section is fantastic, and locks into several excellent grooves as backing for some reasonably modern-sounding solos. A good example of this is "Muziqawi Silt," the second track -- about halfway through, the piano starts rolling on a Latin-sounding chord progression, while the horns play something of a more Ethiopian flavor -- there are lots of opportunities for great polyrhythmic exploration here, and the composers and artists really nail it. Sophisticated and swaggering in equal measure.

On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the intro to "Atchalkoum" is a lovely, plaintive statement from a few trumpets, repeated by a saxophone. It creates a goosebump-worthy moment of "stillness" compared to the hot rhythmic work that precedes and follows.

It's not all as good as these high points, as some of the solos wander a little bit, or some of the songs aren't as compelling. But these moments can be forgiven-- most of the album is terrific, genuinely artistic, and suffused throughout with the thrill of intercultural discovery. Highly recommended.