Either/Orchestra

The Either/Orchestra celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a spectacular concert featuring many alumni guests

Thursday Dec. 16, 7:30pm

Tickets:phone/online orders include additional service charge

Reserved Seating: $25
Students: $15

When Russ Gershon founded the Either/Orchestra in his Central Square living room in 1985, neither he nor anybody else imagined that a quarter century later the band would be celebrating its silver anniversary.  But on December 16 Gershon and 24 of his musicians will be doing just that.

From swinging jazz to grooving Latin to mysterious Ethiopian music, Gershon and company will be leading a musical tour of the history of the band, a history which has taken them around the world in over 1000 performances.  They will play old favorites from their 11 albums that haven’t been aired in years, hot new material from their new hit CD Mood Music for Time Travellers and brand new music concocted for the occasion. 

The band’s catalog of CDs will be available at discount prices, including at least one “stocking stuffer special” at the low, low price of $5.

Amazing combinations of instruments will be presented, and amazing combinations of players from different editions of the E/O - including some who have never met before the rehearsals.  The lineup of alumni is enough to fill five excellent bands:

Miguel Zenon, alto sax, is a MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow and one of the brightest stars in jazz, touring with his own group and the SF Jazz Collective
Josh Roseman, trombone, has played with a who’s who of jazz, from Lester Bowie to Don Byron to Illinios Jacquet
Curtis Hasselbring, trombone, has played with Medeski Martin & Wood, Slavic Soul Party, Golem, the Jazz Passengers and many others
Leo Blanco, piano, leads his own groups and has played with Dave Liebman, Luciana Souza, Bob Moses, Jamey Hadded, Antonio Sanchez, Giovanni Hidalgo and Jane Bunnett.
Bob Nieske, bass, has toured and played with Jimmy Giuffre, George Rusell, and teaches at Brandeis.
John Turner, bass, plays with Roomful of Blues, and has played with White Heat and Dave Bryant.
Manolo Mairena, percussion, is a songwriter, singer and bandleader who recently released his own Mi Opportunidad
Kurtis Rivers, baritone sax, is a founding member of the Makanda Project
Jerome Deupree, drums, was a founding member of Morphine and has played in the Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam band for 13 years
Chris Taylor, piano, is a busy freelancer and teacher and held down a steady gig at the Top of the Hub for many years
Dr. Colin Fisher, trumpet, teaches at Boston University
Dan Fox, trombone, leads Made in the Shade
Russell Jewell, trombone, leads Brass Roots and plays with Mighty Sam McClain
John Dirac, guitar, plays and teaches on Cape Cod
Kenny Freundlich, piano, is an administrator at Wellesley College

The Either/Orchestra is:
Tom Halter, Dan Rosenthal: trumpets
Joel Yennior: trombone
Hailey Niswanger, Russ Gershon, Charlie Kohlhase: saxes
Rafael Alcala: piano, keys
Rick McLaughlin: bass
Pablo Bencid: drums
Vicente Lebron: congas
http://either-orchestra.org/