Customer Reviews

Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.