Live recording of the groundbreaking music of Ethiopian pioneer Moussié Nerses Nalbandian (1915-1977) by the renowned Either / Orchestra led by Russ Gershon.
14 songs by the master who laid the foundation for the later Ethio Jazz, as a double LP in gatefold cover with a beautiful 8-page booklet on Heavenly Sweetness.
Long before Ethiopia’s cultural revolution under the slogan “Swinging Addis” caused a sensation with the Ethio Jazz of the 1960s, Armenian-born Moussié Nerses Nalbandian followed the path of his uncle Kevork Nalbandian to Ethiopia.
After the latter made a career as the director of renowned state orchestras under Regent Haile Selassie and shaped the country’s music, his nephew followed as a no less influential composer and conductor, who combined the traditions of Ethiopian music with the influences and instrumental possibilities of Western popular music, especially jazz.
Many of the later well-known “Swinging Addis” musicians learned their craft in the orchestras of the Nalbandians.
The American jazz saxophonist Russ Gershon founded his big band Either / Orchestra back in 1985 and has been pursuing Ethiopia’s musical heritage for over 40 years.
Compiled from live recordings from 2004 and 2011, Either / Orchestra plays the wonderful music of Moussié Nerses Nalbandian, accompanied by liner notes in English and French as well as rare photos in the LP’s artwork.
Indispensable!
