Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics: Inspiration Information 3 [Vinyl 2LP 180 g]

Afrobeat / Funk / Soul
premiera polska: 2011-03-10
seria wydawnicza: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975
kontynent: Afryka
kraj: Ethiopia
opakowanie: Gatefoldowe etui
opis: Opis Wydawcy:
Mulatu to największy w tej chwili twórca afro/ethiopian jazzu na świecie, genialny wibrafonista i multiinstrumentalista. Od lat 60. jest muzycznym ambasadorem Etiopii. W oryginalny sposób połączył zachodni jazz i funk z tradycyjną etiopską melodyką i elementami egipskiej muzyki sakralnej. Znany jest głównie ze składanek "Ethiopiques".
Na żywo występuje z The Heliocentrics czyli brytyjskim kolektywem progresywnych instrumentalistów dowodzony przez mrocznego mistrza perkusji Malcolma Catto. Debiutowali w 2007 roku przekraczającym bariery kosmicznego groove'u albumem "Out There". Członkowie grupy współpracowali z takimi artystami, jak: Madlib (Catto współpracował przy jego krążku "Shades of Blue" dla Blue Note oraz przy projekcie Yesterdays New Quintet), DJ Shadow (The Heliocentrics wspierali go w "This Time I'm Gonna Do It My Way" pochodzącym z albumu "The Outsider"), Dap Kings, Herbaliser, Poets of Rhythm.


Editor's Info:
The third in Strut's Inspiration Information studio collaboration series brings together an intriguing pairing between one of Africa's great bandleaders, Mulatu Astatke, with the next level musicianship of The Heliocentrics collective from the mighty roster of Stones Throw / Now Again.

Known primarily through the successful 'Ethiopiques' album series and the film soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch's 'Broken Flowers', Mulatu Astatke is one of Ethiopia's foremost musical ambassadors. Informed by spells living and studying in the UK and the USA, his self-styled Ethio-jazz sound flourished during the "Swinging Addis" era of the late '60s as he successfully fused Western jazz and funk with traditional Ethiopian folk melodies, five tone scale arrangements and elements from music of the ancient Coptic church.

The Heliocentrics have become known as one of the UK's foremost free-thinking collectives of musicians, inspired by a wide palette covering Sun Ra, James Brown, David Axelrod and all manner of psych, Afro and Eastern sounds. Now a fixture within the Stones Throw / Now Again roster, they forged their own genre-breaking directions in the astral analogue groove on their 2007 debut album, 'Out There'.

The recording liaison took place thanks to some inspired programming by Karen P for her 'Broad Casting' session at Cargo in London on 17th April 2008. Securing Mulatu for his first UK live date in over 15 years, she called on The Heliocentrics to back the maestro and, with only a day of rehearsal, they tore the place up with a series of original Mulatu classics, chalking up one of the most memorable gigs of the year. The show itself was recorded for Red Bull Music Academy Radio (Mulatu has been involved with the Academy for some time) and is still available to listen to on-demand at www.rbmaradio.com A Gilles Peterson Maida Vale session followed for BBC Radio One.

The new recording is a mouth-watering prospect. Driven by groove and melody ideas exchanged upfront of the sessions, the bulk of the album was laid down at Quatermass studios, an analogue HQ in East London during 8th to 14th September 2008, a week of frenetic writing and recording. Alongside Mulatu, London-based Ethiopian musicians including Dawit Gebreab, Yezina Nagash, Mesafnit Nagash and Temesgen Taraken guested on several tracks, contributing traditional sounds using instruments like the krar (a six-stringed, five tone instrument), washint (a flute traditionally made from bamboo) and Begena (a ten string instrument dating back to the 15th century, sometimes referred to as "David's Harp").

Joel Yennior from Boston's Either Orchestra scored and arranged the horn lines on the fly and the Heliocentrics overdubbed and arranged each track following the main recording period, adding the individual production touches to each piece of music. The result is a true fusion of styles. At times the feel is reminiscent of Mulatu's earlier recordings, at others The Heliocentrics sound cuts through with Mulatu bringing his haunting vibes lines into more experimental territory as the band whip up their own fresh Ethio-hybrid.

Mulatu: "There are new compositions like, 'Cha Cha', and 'Dewel', heavily influenced by an Ethiopian Coptic Church composer called Yard. The band took it and added what they feel. It's a nice experiment."

The Heliocentrics: "We haven't tried to recreate an 'Ethiopiques' LP, this is more a collision of both our musical worlds, complete with the diverse influences and experiences that the alliance encompasses, a true exchange of ideas and influence. Something new, grounded in something old."

utwory:
A1. Masenqo
Arranged By Strings– Keane
Arranged By Trad. Arr.– Astatke
Drums, Percussion, Guitar – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass, Guitar – Jake Ferguson
Harp – Kat Arney
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Piano – Oliver Parfitt
Strings – Dan Keane
Theremin – Tom Hodges
Violin Masenqo– Mesafnit Negash
Vocals – Yezina Negash
Written-By – Ferguson, Catto

A2. Cha Cha
Arranged By Horns– Yennior
Drums – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Flute Solo], Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Piano, Synthesizer Moog– Oliver Parfitt
Tenor Saxophone – James Arben
Trombone – Joel Yennior
Trumpet – Byron Wallen
Vibraphone, Percussion – Mulatu Astatke
Written-By – Astatke

A3. Mulatu
Arranged By Horns– Yennior
Baritone Saxophone – James Allsop
Drums – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Keyboards – Oliver Parfitt
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Tenor Saxophone – Shabaka Hutchings
Trombone – Joel Yennior
Trumpet Solo– Byron Wallen
Vibraphone Solo– Mulatu Astatke
Written-By – Astatke

B1. Addis Black Widow
Arranged By Horns– Ferguson, Yennior
Baritone Saxophone – James Allsop
Drums, Effects – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Flute Washint– Dawit Gebreab
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Keyboards – Oliver Parfitt
Percussion, Flute Solo– Jack Yglesias
Tenor Saxophone – Shabaka Hutchings
Trombone – Joel Yennior
Trumpet – Byron Wallen
Written-By – Owusu, Yglesias, Ferguson, Yennior, Catto, Parfitt

B2. Fire In The Zoo
Baritone Saxophone – James Arben
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Shabaka Hutchings
Double Bass – Jake Ferguson
Drums, Percussion – Malcolm Catto
Piano, Flute – Jack Yglesias
Written-By – Yglesias, Ferguson, Arben, Catto, Hutchings

B3. Dewel
Arranged By Horns– Yennior
Drums, Percussion – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Piano, Electric Piano Wurlitzer], Synthesizer Moog– Oliver Parfitt
Tenor Saxophone – James Arben
Trombone – Joel Yennior
Trumpet – Byron Wallen
Vibraphone – Mulatu Astatke
Written-By – Astatke

B4. Blue Nile
Drums – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Keyboards – Oliver Parfitt
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Soprano Saxophone – James Allsop
Tenor Saxophone – Shabaka Hutchings
Theremin – Tom Hodges
Written-By – Owusu, Ferguson, Yennior, Catto, Parfitt

C1. Esketa Dance
Arranged By Horns– Yennior
Baritone Saxophone – James Arben
Drums – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Electric Piano Wurlitzer– Mulatu Astatke
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Lyre Krar– Dawit Gebreab
Organ – Oliver Parfitt
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Tenor Saxophone – Shabaka Hutchings
Trombone – Joel Yennior
Trumpet – Byron Wallen
Written-By – Yglesias, Ferguson, Yennior, Catto, Astatke, Parfitt

C2. Chik Chikka
Arranged By Horns– Yennior
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – James Allsop
Drums – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Electric Piano Wurlitzer– Mulatu Astatke
Flute Washint– Dawit Gebreab
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Lyre Krar– Temesgen Taraken
Trombone – Joel Yennior
Written-By – Astatke

C3. Live From Tigre Lounge
Drums, Keyboards – Malcolm Catto
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Guitar, Electric Bass – Jake Ferguson
Keyboards Additional– Oliver Parfitt
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Written-By – Owusu, Ferguson, Catto

C4. Chinese New Year
Arranged By Strings– Keane
Double Bass – Jake Ferguson
Drums – Malcolm Catto
Harp – Kat Arney
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Piano – Oliver Parfitt
Strings – Dan Keane
Written-By – Ferguson, Catto, Parfitt

D1. An Epic Story
Arranged By Strings– Keane
Double Bass, Guitar Thai– Jake Ferguson
Drums, Percussion – Malcolm Catto
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Harp – Kat Arney
Percussion – Jack Yglesias
Saw Musical Saw– Tom Hodges
Strings – Dan Keane
Strings Begena], Flute Washint– Dawit Gebreab
Written-By – Owusu, Keane, Ferguson, Catto

D2. Phantom Of The Panther
Drums, Percussion – Malcolm Catto
Electric Bass, Flute Wooden], Percussion – Jake Ferguson
Harp – Kat Arney
Organ – Dan Keane
Percussion – Adrian Owusu
Piano – Oliver Parfitt
Written-By – Ferguson, Catto, Parfitt

D3. Anglo Ethio Suite
Arranged By Strings– Keane
Bass Clarinet – James Allsop
Double Bass, Strings Begena– Jake Ferguson
Drums, Piano Additional– Malcolm Catto
Guitar – Adrian Owusu
Harp – Kat Arney
Keyboards Electronica– Tom Hodges
Percussion, Flute Solo– Jack Yglesias
Piano – Mulatu Astatke
Strings, Cello Solo– Dan Keane
Written-By – Yglesias, Ferguson, Catto

nagrano: All sessions produced, engineered and mixed at Quatermass Studios, London. Recorded at Quatermass Studios London, 8th - 14th September 2008.

more info: www.strut-records.com