The Father of Ethio jazz's upcoming 'Mulatu Steps Ahead' promises an eclectic range of collaborations and contributions, including tracks featuring London's The Heliocentrics, Boston-based jazz combo Either/Orchestra, and a slew of traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis as well as modern jazz players in London.The tracks were likewise written in an eclectic range of locations beyond what could be called his traditional purview of New York--London--Addis. This time around, there's a track written in Cambridge at Harvard's Radcliffe Institute, as well as a number penned in a tour bus in France ('The Way To Nice'). Of course, many of the tunes adapt Ethiopian traditions, including a track that promises influences from the Assosa tribes in northwestern Ethiopia and the Derashe people of south Ethiopia.
Mulatu Astatke will commence a world tour in March that will coincide with dates with The Heliocentrics. Check out the full tracklist for 'Mulatu Steps Ahead' after the jump.
'Mulatu Steps Ahead' Tracklist:
1. Radcliffe
2. Green Africa
3. The Way to Nice
4. Assosa
5. I Farm Gami I Farm
6. Mulatu's Mood
7. Ethio Blues
8. Boogaloo
9. Motherland
