Tension

Description

Astatkes vibraphone sets the scene, before drummer Matan Assayag attacks the beat and Nadav Brachas marching bassline and Ranis percussion propel the track forward, and Hoodnas brass section delivers a classic Ethio motif. Mulatus enchanting vibraphone solo is followed by a blistering tenor sax solo by Eylon Tushiner. This is Ethio-jazz on turbochargers. Recorded towards the end of their session, Major provides a whole new dimension, joyously and effortlessly swinging out of the speakers after Tension. You can sense how comfortable the band feels together at this point. The track features a superb organ solo by Drabkin. The Smilan composed Hatula embodies the sound of a cat prowling outside on a hot summers night with poise and finesse, before building into a great crescendo that belies the feline creatures unpredictable behavior and wilder instincts. Yashan on the other hand is classic smoke-filled- lounge Ethio-jazz with an undercurrent of tension you can cut with a knife, with the Elad Gellert baritone sax solo lulling you into a false sense of security.

The Latin-jazz tinged grooves of Delilah play homage to the early roots of Mulatus sound. Leading the songs key motif, Tushiners seductive flute is well balanced by Smilans guitar, proceeding beautifully into an enchanting solo by Astatke himself. Tushiner takes an extended turn himself, soloing like Hungarian guitar legend Gbor Szab, if only hed moved to Cairo instead of San Francisco. Joined by Sugarman on saxophones, the brass section plays a subtle but important role on his occasion, gently accompanying in the background.

The album closes fittingly with Dung Gate. A Birenbaum composition, the track features slow, heavy, melodic motif led by the brass section, counterbalanced by a tidal wave of percussion and hand-clapping. One can imagine the band slowly marching out of the venue through the crowd at the end of their show, the audience clapping in time with the orchestras brass and percussion, recalling another legend, the late great Sun Ra.

On one hand, Tension is clearly a deeply personal tribute by the Hoodna Orchestra to iconic Mulatu Astatke, but at the same time the recordings emit a remarkable amount of chemistry, and together they have created an essential addition to Mulatus rich discography that charts new directions in his Ethio-jazz trajectory and provides the Hoodna Orchestra with their strongest album to date.