Inspired by Ethiopian artist Mulatu Astatke and from touring to Ethiopia with Dereb the Ambassador, saxophonist Matthew Ottignon has assembled Sydney’s finest musicians together. Eastern mellismatic scales and hypnotic trancelike rhythms head to head with seriously solid funk grooves.
Everywhere he’s been, Matt Ottignon has soaked up the local music culture, collaborating with resident artists and creating new music. Not ‘world music’ in the accepted sense, Matt’s original compositions for MISTER OTT comprise an amalgamation of native melodies from many sources, blended with the free-form improvisation and syncopation for which African-pedigreed jazz is renowned. In particular, Matt has a keen interest and involvement with the very unique sounds of Ethiopian music. He toured Ethiopia in 2011 with Sydney-based Dereb The Ambassador.
from https://misterott.com