Album lore

Bahir, issued by Soundway Records in 2020, assembles Dexter Story’s deft command of jazz fusion with a worldly palette. The album’s thirteen tracks weave together threads of Ethiopian jazz, ambient textures, and alternative R&B, underpinned by a groove-minded funk and soul sensibility. Collaborators such as Sudan Archives on “Gold” and Haile Supreme on “Ras” lend distinctive voices that complement Story’s multi-instrumental arrangements. Recorded with a keen ear for regional resonance, Bahir channels both the streets and studios, marrying the off-kilter rhythms of Addis Ababa with contemporary production. Tracks like “Electric Gurage” and “Chemin De Fer” display a deft balance between programmed beats and live instrumentation, while vocal contributions from Jimetta Rose and Hamelmal Abate enrich the album’s breadth. It stands as an artifact linking jazz’s diasporic lineage with present-day global currents.

Album lore

Bahir, issued by Soundway Records in 2020, assembles Dexter Story’s deft command of jazz fusion with a worldly palette. The album’s thirteen tracks weave together threads of Ethiopian jazz, ambient textures, and alternative R&B, underpinned by a groove-minded funk and soul sensibility. Collaborators such as Sudan Archives on “Gold” and Haile Supreme on “Ras” lend distinctive voices that complement Story’s multi-instrumental arrangements. Recorded with a keen ear for regional resonance, Bahir channels both the streets and studios, marrying the off-kilter rhythms of Addis Ababa with contemporary production. Tracks like “Electric Gurage” and “Chemin De Fer” display a deft balance between programmed beats and live instrumentation, while vocal contributions from Jimetta Rose and Hamelmal Abate enrich the album’s breadth. It stands as an artifact linking jazz’s diasporic lineage with present-day global currents.