Instruments adorned the Jazz Cafe stage for the second night in a row as the godfather of Ethiopian jazz stepped out to another hero’s welcome from the sold-out crowd.
Pivoting around a selection of instruments which he graced intermittently, Mulatu, alongside his seven piece band of highly accomplished musicians, embarked on a voyage of music from around the world much to the audience’s gratification. Graceful and appreciative throughout, he opted to share the limelight amongst his counterparts, entrusting each band member with one song in which they were the main feature, whilst he looked on like a proud father, engaging in nods of approval and encouragement. Repaying the faith he’d shown in them, members capitalised on this opportunity by exploring and presenting the character and extremities of their respective instruments, both tonally and technically, to a point out of its typically recognisable pitch and timbre range.
Perfecting the balance between letting his musicians shine, yet still exerting his unique identity on the show, Mulatu masterfully orchestrated sharp genre transitions amidst his kaleidoscope of global sounds, with stops at afrobeat, free-jazz, latin and blues. With the audience in the palm of his hand every step of the way, they revelled in these genre transitions, most notably the effective switch from a static state of captivation during The Way to Nice, into a dance to the infectious groove of Yegelle Tezeta.
This variety was a testament to his craft of creating an eclectic performance off his wealth of experience and discography, positioned front centre like the captain of a ship, on two occasions the arrangement stripped down to both crowd and band clapping in unison in homage to Mulatu. The first of such occasions during his glockenspiel intro to Yekermo Sew, a perfect example of the craft of his solos; characterful yet measured, he seemingly effortlessly creates a multi-dimensional soundscape without breaking a sweat despite covering every note of the glockenspiel much to audiences’ fascination.
Amidst the mixture of sounds and influences being unearthed on stage, the crowd were treated to hearing some of Mulatu’s unmiced musical commentary and vocal expressions over his softer solos, forming an intimate and almost immersive experience into the musical consciousness of this Ethiojazz genius.
By Julian Ball Rodriguez
Photo Credit: Nicola Antonazzo