Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Plays Mulatu [Strut]

Format: LP in gatefold sleeve.

Strut presents Mulatu Plays Mulatu, the first major studio album in over 10 years from the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatke.

Featuring masterful new versions of some of his classic compositions, Mulatu Plays Mulatu sees Mulatu revisiting the sounds that helped transform Ethiopian music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The album was recorded between London and Addis Ababa, working alongside his long-established British band – a tight, intuitive ensemble honed over years of live performances – as well as cultural musicians resident at his Jazz Village club in Addis.

Mulatu Plays Mulatu realizes Mulatu’s long-term vision for Ethio-jazz, meticulously balancing Western jazz arrangements with the rich sounds of traditional Ethiopian instruments like the krar, masenqo, washint, kebero, and begena. Throughout the album, he reworks familiar tracks with richer textures, extended improvisations, and greater rhythmic depth, creating a work that feels as vital and contemporary as it is rooted in tradition. Familiar tunes such as ‘Yekermo Sew,’ ‘Netsanet,’ and ‘Azmari’—composed by Russ Gershon of Either/Orchestra—are reinvented here as elegant big band performances.

“Ethio-jazz brings us together and makes us one,” Mulatu explains. “This album is the culmination of my work bringing this music to the world, and it pays tribute to our unsung heroes: Ethiopia’s original true musical scientists, who bequeathed to us our cultural music.”

Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Astatke has bridged continents and generations, and now invites us to listen to his music anew, from a completely fresh perspective. Ethio-jazz, like its creator, is always on the move.

Mulatu Plays Mulatu was produced by Dexter Story and features appearances from Los Angeles-based contemporary artists Carlos Niño and Kibrom Birhane. The album was recorded and mixed by Isabel Gracefield at RAK Studios in London and by Dexter Story in Addis. Cover art by acclaimed Oslo-based Ethiopian artist Wendimagegn Belete, with photography by Alexis Maryon.