Sound Travels today was like a New Music Wednesday as I focused on the latest releases to highlight some important newer releases. I'm saving the mixtape for the weekend, but I've got a clutch of cuts from today that are highlights on cd's that I certainly think are worth a listen in their respective entireties. First up was a new release from the undisputed master of Ethio-Jazz vibes, Mulatu Astatke. Deep fans of world music should know the name if not the music, but his work has been a staple of the now-legendary Ethiopiques series and his solo albums are much sought after by collectors. Given his relative recording silence (having not released an album since the 80's), this release release is a bit of a surprise. Checkit. (also see: Ethiopiques(comps), Alèmayèhu Eshèté, and Mahmoud Ahmed)Mulatu Astatke "Faram Gami I Faram" Mulatu Steps Ahead
"The Skeleton is a made up band. I kid you not - it doesn't exist. These musicians never stood in the studio together, they just passed through my house or left some scraps of sound behind after sessions we were working on. This record is like a guy, pieced together and ready for the bonfire... Some of the music here started life as commissions for a library music company, pastiches and forgeries paid for by the current vogue for a certain style of African jazz. Once I'd done a few though I couldn't stop... to me the whole thing has been a self indulgent forgery, an act of mindless fun. If it sounds good then it's because I just enjoyed the music and enjoyed myself."
Sounds good too... The Skeleton "Adam and Eve feat Alice Russell" Smile And if you caught(or missed) Sound Travels on Sunday and wonder what you'd heard or want to hear my mix, here it is... Sound Travels Sunday Devocational Mixtracklisting:Feng Shui Masters Tibetan Singing Bowl Universal Harmony Absolute Feng Shui - Life in Harmony M. Sayid Chisti "unknown" Suns Of Arqa "Jagnath Bhairavi" Jaggernaut : Whirling DubGregorian Chants "Antifona Alla Comunione: Ecce Virgo" The Brotherhood Of St. Gregory And The Sisters Of Mercy Choir "Gloria" Monks Of The Abbey Of Notre Dame "Alleluia" Snatam Kaur "Tantric Wahe Guru" Meditations for Transformation 1: Merge & FlowBuddhist Monks of Maitri Vihar Monastery "Three deep singing monks" Tibetan Mantras & Chants Smadj "Betty" Take It and DriveRichard Kaplan and Michael Ziegler "Psalm 150" Tuning the Soul: Worlds of Jewish Sacred MusicSmadj "Sel" Take It and Drive Richard Kaplan and Michael Ziegler "Ki Eshmerah Shabbat" Tuning the Soul: Worlds of Jewish Sacred Music Prince Far I "What You Gonna Do On the Judgement Day" Trojan Dancehall Roots Box SetMajor King "Jahovia" AriethaBarnes, Luther & The Red Budd Gospel Choir "My God Can Do Anything" Big Noise: A Mambo Inn CompilationThe Viceroys "Love Jah" Ya HoOs Tincoãs "Ogundê" Os TincoãsMary Love-Comer "Come Out Of The Sandbox" I Like It Vol. 1 The Masonic Wonders "I Call" Him Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal