Name: New York - Addis - London - The Story Of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975
Brand: Mulatu Astatke

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

STRUT51LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-03-17

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

0730003305115

Total Cap

Black LPx2

Artist

Mulatu Astatke

Genre GB

African

Label GB

Strut

Mulatu Astatke is arguably one of the most influential and legendary musicians from Ethiopia. He studied music abroad in London, Boston, and New York during the 1960s, then returned home to Ethiopia where he blended Ethiopian traditional music with Latin-jazz to create a unique hybrid called "Ethio-jazz". As a composer and multi-instrumentalist, Astatke played the vibraphone, keyboards, organs, congas, and bongos. His focus on instrumentation introduced a new dimension to Ethiopian music. With several LPs recorded in New York City and releases on Amha Records in Addis Ababa, Astatke's work gained renewed attention through compilations on Ethiopiques (Buda Musique) and Soundway label. Notably featured in Jim Jarmush's film Broken Flowers, Astatke continues his musical journey collaborating with renowned artists.

Strut is a British independent label founded by Quinton Scott. From 1999 to 2003, Strut was at the forefront of unearthing forgotten dance music gems, covering a wide range of genres from hard funk and underground disco to Nigerian Afrobeat and old skool hip hop. Their releases not only featured killer dancefloor tracks but also provided a comprehensive context for the music, delving into the stories behind the tunes, the clubs, and the scene of that time. With meticulous attention to detail, Strut's albums were mastered from original tapes whenever possible and included extensive sleeve notes written by respected journalists, rare photographs, and memorabilia.

In January 2008, Strut was reactivated and became part of the *K7 label group. Since then, their releases have been primarily based in Europe unless there is an exclusive retailer in another territory.

Our curated collection of essential albums on vinyl, CD, and tape at Rough Trade.

Rough Trade Essential

Vibraphone and keyboard player, master arranger and bandleader, Mulatu Astatke is one of the all-time greats of Ethiopian music and the creator of his own original music form, Ethio jazz. Through the acclaimed Ethiopiques album series and through featuring on the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers, his music has belatedly reached a global audience and a new, younger generation of fans. In November of last year, he recorded an inspired new album with London psych jazz band The Heliocentrics for Strut’s Inspiration Information studio collaboration series.

Strut present the definitive Mulatu career retrospective covering his landmark ‘60s and ‘70s recordings.&nbsp;Mulatu is a true pioneer of African music. He was the first Ethiopian musician of his generation to travel extensively and to record abroad – he studied in the UK in Wales and at Trinity College Of Music in London, cutting his teeth on the buoyant London jazz scene of the early ‘60s. He became the first African student to attend Harvard and he lived and recorded in New York, developing a unique sound that fused Western jazz with traditional Ethiopian melodies.&nbsp;Tracing the progression of his Ethio jazz experiments with full access to all of the labels for whom he recorded, Mulatu Astatke: New York-Addis-London is the essential Mulatu. Covering his first recordings in the UK during 1965, his groundbreaking fusions for the small Worthy label in New York and his key ‘70s recordings back in Addis on Amha, Phillips and Axum, the album features comprehensive sleeve notes by Miles Cleret, boss of the excellent Soundway Records imprint, and rare, previously unseen photos from Mulatu’s personal archive.

New York - Addis - London - The Story Of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975

Music GB