Gros Chat Coquinou

Picture taken from Ernie: A Photographer's Memoir by Tony Mendoza (one of the best books ever)

Last night, Lucy and I went to see some jazz cause we’re cool cats like that. But not any kind of jazz: Ethiopian jazz. Like a lot of indie kids, 5 years ago, I started becoming quite obsessed with the Ethiopiques compilations. But I didn’t start a band under the name Foals or Vampire Weekend, I just kept buying the compilations, probably the best for the sake of your ears.

One of the most famous and best musicians on these compilations is Mulatu Astatke. You’ve probably heard some of his tracks on Jim Jarmush’s Broken Flowers. Mulatu was playing last night at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and what a great night! Mulatu looks like one of these really big cats: you know the ones that keep their winter fur all year long, sleep like this on your sofa, enjoy rubbing against the legs of all your hot lady friends and look like that they’re always about to tell you a joke. He plays the vibraphone in a total chilled way, which might make you forgot the complexity of his absolutely brilliant compositions. It was frustrating to be sitting down during some of the tracks. That big cat is a genius.

Mulatu Astatké - Yèkatit by ACS

Fox of the week.