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Mulatu Astatke, Ethio-jazz and Pentatonic Worlds
From Addis to the Barbican and back again, this episode dives into the sound-world shaped by Mulatu Astatke — the father of Ethio jazz. With Mulatu having recently completed his farewell tour, Steve goes back to a long, previously-unreleased interview he recorded with him during the making of Hackney Colliery Band’s Collaborations: Volume One. What emerges is a portrait of a true pioneer: a composer trained in London and at Berklee, a collaborator with Duke Ellington, and the architect of a style heard across film soundtracks, samples and stages worldwide.
Expect discussions of Ethio jazz’s roots in traditional modes and tribal instruments; a journey through pentatonic and diminished scales; and Mulatu’s deep reflections on African musical heritage and collaboration. There’s even a live extract of Derashe from HCB’s Barbican show — the tune he discusses in the interview.
In this episode:
• How Mulatu fused Ethiopian pentatonic traditions with jazz harmony and improvisation.
• Why some Ethiopian tribes use diminished (whole–half) scales, and how that changes the emotional palette.
• The story of Duke Ellington’s Jazz Ambassadors tour — and how Ellington ended up performing one of Mulatu’s arrangements in Addis.
• The embilta, washint and other Ethiopian wind instruments that parallel trumpets, trombones and baritone sax.
• The link between African “bush” instruments, mbira/“African piano” traditions, and Western harmonic thinking.
• A rare 2018 interview captured at Livingston Studios during the HCB/Mulatu recording sessions.
• A live performance of Derashe from the Barbican, featuring Hackney Colliery Band and Mulatu Astatke.
Also in this episode, Steve welcomes listeners from the New Scientist Podcast and explores the science–music crossover behind shell acoustics, underwater sound, and the physics of musical evolution. Plus a reminder that the new Origin of the Pieces website now includes full transcripts, an interactive world-map archive of every episode, and a growing library of extras.
And don’t miss the upcoming Wilton’s Music Hall shows on 24th January 2026, including the first ever Origin KIDS matinee at 2pm and the evening performance at 7pm. TICKETS.
🎧 Listen, rate and share to help more musically curious ears find the show.
💻 More episodes and extras at originofthepieces.com
🪶 Patreon: https://patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
View all episodes
By Steve PrettyFrom Addis to the Barbican and back again, this episode dives into the sound-world shaped by Mulatu Astatke — the father of Ethio jazz. With Mulatu having recently completed his farewell tour, Steve goes back to a long, previously-unreleased interview he recorded with him during the making of Hackney Colliery Band’s Collaborations: Volume One. What emerges is a portrait of a true pioneer: a composer trained in London and at Berklee, a collaborator with Duke Ellington, and the architect of a style heard across film soundtracks, samples and stages worldwide.
Expect discussions of Ethio jazz’s roots in traditional modes and tribal instruments; a journey through pentatonic and diminished scales; and Mulatu’s deep reflections on African musical heritage and collaboration. There’s even a live extract of Derashe from HCB’s Barbican show — the tune he discusses in the interview.
In this episode:
• How Mulatu fused Ethiopian pentatonic traditions with jazz harmony and improvisation.
• Why some Ethiopian tribes use diminished (whole–half) scales, and how that changes the emotional palette.
• The story of Duke Ellington’s Jazz Ambassadors tour — and how Ellington ended up performing one of Mulatu’s arrangements in Addis.
• The embilta, washint and other Ethiopian wind instruments that parallel trumpets, trombones and baritone sax.
• The link between African “bush” instruments, mbira/“African piano” traditions, and Western harmonic thinking.
• A rare 2018 interview captured at Livingston Studios during the HCB/Mulatu recording sessions.
• A live performance of Derashe from the Barbican, featuring Hackney Colliery Band and Mulatu Astatke.
Also in this episode, Steve welcomes listeners from the New Scientist Podcast and explores the science–music crossover behind shell acoustics, underwater sound, and the physics of musical evolution. Plus a reminder that the new Origin of the Pieces website now includes full transcripts, an interactive world-map archive of every episode, and a growing library of extras.
And don’t miss the upcoming Wilton’s Music Hall shows on 24th January 2026, including the first ever Origin KIDS matinee at 2pm and the evening performance at 7pm. TICKETS.
🎧 Listen, rate and share to help more musically curious ears find the show.
💻 More episodes and extras at originofthepieces.com
🪶 Patreon: https://patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.