Éthiopiques (ኢትዮጲክስ) 14 : Negus of Ethiopian Sax (የሳክስፎን፡ ንጉሥ።)

Unearthing highly obscure 1972 recordings from Addis Ababa, this volume of the 'Éthiopiques' series highlights the wildly unique, fiercely expressive playing of saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya. He famously translated the aggressive, battle-cry vocal traditions of the 'shellela' directly to the tenor saxophone, resulting in a raw, heavily vibrato-laden style remarkably parallel to American free jazz. The compilation brought him massive late-career international acclaim, eventually leading to collaborations with The Ex.