THE BUDOS BAND - III (Daptone)

At some point in every crate digger's career he or she will stumble upon Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke, and consequently fall in love with his intoxicating mixture of jazz, latin and traditional Ethiopian music. My introduction came at the hands of a friend in Chicago who played "Ethiopian Modern Instrumental Hits" for me one night. Caught up in the moment, I thought to myself 'this is the greatest sound I have ever heard.' It rocked and grooved like nothing I had heard before. It was dark, exotic and sexy as hell. The next day I was off to Dusty Groove to raid their Astatke collection, including the much loved "Ethiopiques Volume 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974". I spent an entire spring and summer obsessed with that sound, running down limited edition eps and lps, as well as further volumes of the Ethiopiques series.

Around the same time I was undergoing my Ethiopian Awakening, NYC's The Budos Band were crafting music based around Astatke's sound. They peppered it with soul, funk and afro-beat, but at the center was that beguiling Ethiopian magic. The group's first album was enjoyable enough, but found the band struggling to carve out their own identity while at the same time recycling sounds from the 60s and 70s. "The Budos Band II" was a major improvement. The band found their voice by focusing on that distinct Ethiopian sound and pumping it full of horn vamps and grooves influenced by blaxploitation soundtrack music. Their music was still greatly indebted to Astatke, but sounded tougher and more street smart.

Now the band has returned with "The Budos Band III", an album that solidifies the approach carved out on "Budos Band II". The band hits the ground running with the muscular "Rite of the Ancients" which mixes a 70s soul horn vamp with an addictive conga-based African rhythm and a slightly psychedelic guitar that grooves and sways in between the brass and percussion. "Black Venom" dims the lights while a slinky horror-house organ fills out the grimy urban track with a hint of evil.

"River Serpentine" brings the sexy back with a more languid rhythm that struts nevertheless. It's one of the album's stronger tracks, as well as its most upbeat. What makes the song stand out is that it is as chill as it is virile. It's all cool confidence and understated swagger, and one that would sound even more awesome if my imaginary entourage would play it on a jam box everywhere I entered. "Nature's Wrath" turns the lights back down for the album's most Ethiopique moment. A serpentine bass and guitar line that will be familiar to anyone who owns any of the Ethiopiques series is juxtaposed against stabbing horns and organ that eventually build into a crescendo. It's a great piece that begins spacious and ends with noise and drama, and it's perfect mid-point for the album.

Unfortunately the latter half of the record is not nearly as exhilarating as the first side. There are still all sorts of sweet moments here, but overall it begins to become less distinguishable. "Raja Haje" is the one exception. Another piece indebted to Ethiopiques, the song simmers and boils over in perfect measure. It's all spindly winding guitars and hot and humid brass and percussion that groove exactly as they should. The band closes the album out with "Reppirt Yad", a cover of the Beatles' "Day Tripper". I admit to not being a fan of rock songs covered by jazz bands, and "Reppirt Yad" does absolutely nothing to change my mind.

In the end, "The Budos Band III" is a solid, if not perfect addition to the band's catalog. For newcomers, this is as good a point as any for an entryway into the band's dark groove. For the initiated there is nothing revelatory here, but plenty to satisfy nonetheless. Apparently the album was recorded in 48 hours, which may explain why the album is so top heavy. If only the band had taken a break after the first 24 hours and reconvened at a latter time maybe they could have produced something spectacular. As it stands, though, "III" is merely good.

"Black Venom" live


"Unbroken, Unshaven" live


"Crimson Skies" live