Mulatu Astatke @ The Luckman Fine Arts Complex 2-01-09

Photo courtesy of GolinHarris

On Sunday night Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke performed two engaging sets at the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles. Mulatu Astatke, along with opening DJ sets from Egon, Quantic and Cut Chemist, is the first performer of the Timeless composer and arranger series at the Luckman. The four-part Timeless series is co-presented by VTech and Mochilla with dates into April this year.

Known as the creator of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu is considered one of the most influential and important musicians from Ethiopia. After being the first African student at the Berklee School of Music in the 1960s and studying abroad, Mulatu returned to Ethiopia and helped shape a new sound that melded jazz, classical, African and Latin music into varied, distinctive and instantly compelling sonic landscapes. For over 40 years, Mulatu’s compositions and arrangements have influenced countless generations.

Opening with the lush “Yekermo Sew,” Mulatu lead his 14-piece jazz orchestra standing behind his vibraphones as he played ascending and cascading phrases with grace and precision. On tunes such as “Ene Alortchi Alnorem,” the group unfolded a slower blossom with simmering intensity. “Metche Dershe,” with its undulating swing and minor textures, dealt with more rich and dark modal tones. On the Latin-flavored “I Faram Gomi,” the audience clapped along to the Afro-Cuban modulations as Mulatu traded phrases on timbales with his percussionists, creating a searing poly-rhythmic cauldron.

Resonating Mulatu’s influence, opening DJ sets by Egon and Quantic leaned heavy towards African and jazzy horizons. The DJs played their sets on the right side of the stage while Ethiopian themed slides were projected on the large screen behind them. Though the Luckman theatre itself is a spacious and stunning venue, some of the concert goers found the self-paid parking lot and long ticket lines a bit frustrating. But the rare opportunity to see Mulatu Astatke perform was worth the wait. Cut Chemist’s set, which was done with only one turntable and a looping instrument, was mind-blowing as he recontextualized grooves, breaks and beats into a space-shifting layers. After his set, Cut Chemist humbly spoke into microphone and told the audience that he felt honored to “share the same oxygen as Mulatu.”

It’s interesting to note how much of an influence Mulatu’s music has on musicians that span various genres and generations. Mulatu’s often minor-keyed and modal tones are redolent of African, Latin and jazz horizons but remain quite distinctive, accessible and instantly compelling. It’s music that is cerebral and soulful. Overall, Mulatu Astatke’s Los Angeles performance as part of the Timeless series proves among all, the testament to his enduring creativity, influence and musical mastery.

Special thanks to Jeanette Liang at GolinHarris, Jay Villanueva and Karl Fornander