Mulatu Astatke - Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974

I've been looking for this album for years in local stores, as well as during some trips to Paris, London and so on, but I didn't thought about looking for it in the Internet until now, and I have to say that I'm a little disappointed, maybe because I was waiting for anything better than life, and I "only" got some good instrumental music from Ethiopia, almost all close to jazz, well played, with some very good ideas, reasonably well recorded (the tracks come mainly from early 1970's)... In few words, a very good record of jazz and instrumental ethiopian music, as says the subtitle of the album. Almost surely, the problem is not the record, but the expectations created by some enthusiastic reviews I'd read about it. Anyway, I think it's a recommendable work for any person interested in the subject of the compilation.

Wow. I can't stop listening to this album..it's incredible. How did I live without it for so long? It has this mysterious, sexy, intimate, exotic, beautiful sound. My life feels just a tad more complete now. HOT

I bought this CD on a whim after it was recommended by Amazon, and I really like this album. Fans of Fela and other Afro Jazz / Afro Pop will probably like this one. The difference is that this is EAST African. While the music is primarily jazz and R&B, there are very clear local influences, which sound somewhat Middle Eastern to my uninitiated Western ears. It's unlike any other CD that I've ever heard, but it's familiar sounding enough to enjoy right away.

The sound quality is what it is! It's from Ethiopia more than 30 years ago! The sound quality is relatively primitive, but it's not something that should keep the open-minded listener from thoroughly enjoying this music. I could even argue that the sound gives it another unique touch.

My daunting challenge for me now is to determine which one of the other 19 volumes of this series to get next.

This is powerful, mystical, ancient, ethereal, psychedelic stuff, wrapped in the raw familiar shapes of jazz, blues, funk, and pop. The horn melodies are dark and hypnotic, punctuated by guitar tones ranging from raw and distorted to reverb wah-wah, joined by electric piano, flute, and various percussion. I love most of the pieces, I think I realized around track #4 that this was special. And listen to track 5, the horns kick it off for the first 2 seconds, then they go away until a sax comes in at 1:22 and plays for awhile as the rhythm just pounds away in the background, finally the horns rip back in at 2:20 and keep at it until the end with a great repeating riff. The last track even approaches a sort of Stooges 'LA Blues'.
I also really love the Ethiopiques albums with Mahmoud Ahmed, I think they are #6 & 7 in the series.
The real charm of this music comes from the way it sounds, the way it was recorded. Raw and low-fi and brimming with soul, the needle pushing into the red. Dig it.

I got this CD after viewing Broken Flower, the movie. I loved the soundtrack and went to Amazon to find the CD. They helpfully showed me the Ethiopiques CD, and I liked their cuts on the movie soundtrack, so I thought I'd take a chance. Everyone I play it for wants to know more about them. I know very little, but love everything on this CD. I will definitly try more of their stuff. My daughter says, "this music makes me happy."

This album has a great selection of music, but the recording quality is very bad. Try to listen to it before you buy it

Yes, I too bought this cd after seeing Broken Flowers.
The music is so captivating and moody- and best of all, if you enjoy cooking, this is the ultimate in cooking tunes.
Everyone I have played this cd for wants one of their own so far!

I discovered this type of music while watching "Broken flowers", and now I have a real interest in knowing more about this type of ethiopian music. This music is completely out of time in a sense that you can't map it to a specific period and the feeling it gives you is breathtaking. love it!!

This CD is Magic - a collection of superb tracks. I was introduced to this music through Jim Jarmusch's film "Broken Flowers". Jim's taste in music is exceptional - it's a feature of his movies.

For me this was an introduction to Ethiopian or even 'African' jazz, and for that I am thoroughly grateful.(To think this stuff's been around for over 30 years ?!?). The rhythms are quite unusual, and in keeping with most African music, entirely captivating.

Great background music .... and better foreground music!
Listen to this collection - you will be impressed....

Very good. Ethiopiques Vol. 4 is an incredible collection of ethiopian instrumentals. I recomend it to the average jazz enthusiast. I believe that it is the best of all the Ethiopiques albums.

Ethiopiques 4 is a rarity, for sure. Mulatu played with some big-name American jazz guys in the '60's before moving back to Ethiopia. The songs on this compilation are all well-composed, which is important because the musicians are generally not-so-great. They are of the same quality as the musicians on a typical Fela Kuti album. Put a big-name American player like Lester Bowie in there (like on Fela Kuti's "No Agreement") and he sounds like he's from a different planet. The music on Ethiopiques has a slight rock fusion vibe, some passages sound Mid-Eastern, and it mostly has a good beat. So, it's good music, but Mulatu wasn't able to scrape up top-level players at that time. It's interesting that Mulatu's Ethiopian jazz was not well-received by Ethiopians because it was extremely non-traditional.

Even if you are not on a quest for an unknown son (like in the movie"Broken Flowers"),
this is groovy background music for whatever you are pursueing in your life!

tonight we traveled with the many aspects of fela, cymande, nicola conte and finally arriving to Ethiopiques 4. It's difficult to find the words to universal music that blesses you with the music that is sending to a good nights rest. Alice Coltrane or Dorothy Ashby will wake me up in the morning. Then, I'll make a veggie fritatta and chill watching thrown of blood. it just came in on netflix. Chicago is cold today...the arctic blast forces you to hunker down. Good night

First 5-10 titles Ok - in the long rung gets a little monotenous

Long before Jim Jarmusch sampled the Ethiopiques in Broken Flowers, they were making their own brand of infectuous jazz music tinged with sultry East African rhythms that formed the base for contemporary Ethiopian sound. The series, which has grown to 20 volumes by last count, is fun to listen to, rivaling that of the Buena Vista artists in World Music. This is as good place to start as any. Enjoy!

If you like Jim Jarmush you have to have this CD. Mulatu Astatke knows harmony in his music. This is simply beautiful

I got onto/into this music because it was used by GENIUS filmmaker Jim Jarmusch in "Broken Flowers", starring Bill Murray. It takes you to amazing places...from the blissful to the neurotic...Definitely a CD to keep a dinner party lively or to expand your mind while studying/reading.

This is the first of the Ethiopiques series I bought and it still stands up, five years later, as my favorite. After losing my original copy last year I finally managed to borrow it from the Brooklyn Public Library.

When I listened to it (for the first time in 12 months) I was swept up once again just like every time I've listened to this disc. The melodies are beautiful, across the board. The musicianship is incredible. And there is a wistful, pentatonic sound that suffuses the whole album and, for me, encapsulates a certain kind of regretful feeling.

You will not be sorry to add this disc to your collection.

I have listened to this CD some two or three dozen times since I bought it last summer, and every time I hear something new, discover some new mood, or fall into some new trancelike state amidst the solos on this collection. I recommend this CD for intelligence, soul, and its general lack of pretention.

Recommend hearing a few tracks online before purchase, most certainly not for everyone - anyone looking for traditional Ehtiopian instruments or newly minted digital recordings. If you want soul, you can feel that it was welling up in these people as Haile Selasse's rule came to an end, and in that brief period where this music was allowed to flourish, it burst out - unpolished and unsure of itself, but it was THERE, more than most music I've ever heard.