For Immediate Release:
October 12, 2004
Mulatu of Ethiopia Meets the Either/Orchestra of Massachusetts at the Regent Theatre

Major figure in Ethiopian pop and jazz to collaborate with Boston's intrepid ten-piece jazz/Latin/African ensemble

Mulatu Astatke, a seminal figure in Ethiopian pop and jazz, and the Either/Orchestra, will be collaborating in a concert at the Regent Theatre in Arlington on Wednesday, November 10, at 7:30 pm. Also featured will be a presentation of Ethiopian dance. The concert is being produced by the Ethiopian Student Union of Massachusetts. This show will be the first US concert of Mulatu and the E/O, who previously played together in Addis Ababa in January 2004.
Mulatu Astatke is one of Ethiopia's major musicians. In the late 1950s, he travelled to London, and later Boston and New York, absorbing jazz and Latin music, recording several LPs (one of which, Mulatu of Ethiopia, has become a legend among DJs in recent years), and eventually bringing both modern jazz and Latin influences and specific instruments back home to Addis Ababa. On piano, organ, vibes and percussion, with his arrangements and compositions, and as an agent provocateur, he became a pivotal figure in a great era of Ethiopian pop and jazz, from 1968 to 1974. To this day, he remains a ubiquitous presence in the Ethiopian music scene, as club owner, music school founder, radio DJ, composer, arranger and instrumentalist.
The Either/Orchestra is among the longest running and most important large ensembles in jazz. Since 1985, under the direction of founding saxophonist/composer Russ Gershon, the ten-piece group has traversed the history and stylistic range of jazz to make great music out of unexpected connections between styles and approaches to music. Like the late Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the E/O has been a kind of graduate school of jazz, whose alumni include John Medeski, Matt Wilson, Josh Roseman and Miguel Zenon, among dozens of other significant players. In 1997, inspired by the work of Mulatu Astatke among others, the E/O began playing their own arrangements of Ethiopian popular music, which garnered them an appearance at the Ethiopian Music Festival in Addis Ababa in January 2004, the first Americans ever invited. In Addis, the group met Mulatu and invited him to play on their concert, with results that surprised and delighted the audience and critics. Now the E/O and Mulatu come together again for a short tour in the US.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $15 with student ID, and $13 in advance w/student ID. The Regent Theatre is at 7 Medford St., Arlington MA, only steps from Mass Ave in Arlington Center. The Theater is easily accessible by public transportation or car, see http://www.regenttheatre.com/directions.html#public for directions.

for further information please contact:

Danny Mekonnen, Ethiopian Student Union of Massachusetts
(903) 491-4118
Danny Mekonnen <xjowcol2@yahoo.com>

Russ Gershon
(617) 776-7093
russ@accuraterecords.com

Leland Stein, Director of Marketing and Promotion, Regent Theatre
el: 781-643-4488
Fax: 781-643-4747
lstein@regenttheatre.com
http://www.regenttheatre.com/

More background on Mulatu:

MUSTHEAR REVIEW of Ethiopiques #4: Ethio Jazz and Instrumental Music

Musically trained in London and schooled in the club scene of mid-'60s New York, Mulatu Astatke stands as the exceptional musical innovator of the Ethiopian groove. Starting in 1969, he created the first bands independent of the military, which had previously dominated the country's music scene. Having immersed himself in Caribbean music, funk, jazz and Latin grooves during his lengthy stint abroad, Mulatu returned to his native land to give rise to a brand new sound. An album of instrumentals, Ethiopiques Volume 4 is a case study in the inventive blending of influences that comprised the Ethiopian groove. Strains of funk and reggae timings permeate the thick and chunky bass lines, which are pushed prominently forward in the mix. Multiple saxophones swirl with the hypnotic, snake-charming sounds of the East, while at the same time resonating with jazzy tones reminiscent of John Coltrane and Lester Young. Guitar is a main ingredient here, growling with funky distorted wah-pedaled fuzz riffs that sound like they were lifted straight out of an early '70s black-exploitation flick. Drums and percussion combine the punchy funk of James Brown and the Meters with the heavy Latin rhythms of Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo. Fusing all of these elements together, Mulatu unleashes a potent brew of afro-jazz grooves that pull you in and leave you in a mystical trance-like state. Whew! Even when the record stops, these mood-inspiring sounds linger on like a drug. Get your head on right, light a candle, sit back, and you too will understand...Tropical in its roots, funky and intoxicating in its impact, Mulatu Astatke's distinct brand of Ethiopian music features some of the most soulful hip-grinding instrumentals ever recorded in Mother Africa.
---John Ballon