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You can hear the audience in Addis Ababa really get into what is happening as they applaud when the second half of the fifteen-minute piece is introduced with a recap of the main tune. A hush settles as Jeremy Udden, with that unearthly tone of his, takes a solo with just pianist Greg Burk and some quiet drumming behind him. The solo is quite abstract and could easily be accepted as advanced jazz. The percussion starts coalescing and the tension rises, Udden starts playing multiphonics, the band plays interjections behind him, and the music on the pedal point reaches an almost excruciating tension until the main tune reappears again to wild applause.
And, remember, this is just the first track of two hours of music!
Having totally won the audience over, the band slides seamlessly into a softer "Muziqawi Silt, featuring a beautiful bass solo by Rick McLaughin, and the rest of the show ebbs and flows, many times reaching peaks of ecstasy. Some prominent Ethiopian musicians guest on the second disc, and tenor saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya is incredibly powerful on "Shellèla.
Live in Addis is a total triumph as music, once again, is shown to be able to bring together diverse peoples in mutual love.
Track Listing: CD 1: Amlak Ab
Personnel: Russ Gershon: tenor and soprano saxophone; Jeremy Udden: alto saxophone; Henry Cook: baritone saxophone, flute; Joel Yennior: trombone; Tom Halter: trumpet; Colin Fisher: trumpet: Greg Burk: piano, Fender Rhodes; Rick McLaughlin: bass; Harvey B. Wirht: drums; Vicente Lebron: congas, percussion. With Mulatu Astotq
Title: Ethiopiques 20: Live In Addis | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Buda Musique
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