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| Across the Omniverse | ||
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More Beautiful than Death
The first new release from the Grammy-nominated ten-piece since 1996 reveals that the Either/Orchestra has by no means been sitting still during the last four years. With a small but significant change of instrumentation - add congas/percussion, remove one trombone - and major changes in personnel - only bandleader Russ Gershon and veterans Tom Halter and Charlie Kohlhase are holdovers from their last album - the E/O has made its most sensual, rhythm-heavy recording ever. Famous for the breadth of its musical vision, the E/O rides the powerful drums of Harvey Wirht, from Suriname, and the exciting congas of Vicente Lebron, from the Dominican Republic, on a trip from North American jazz/blues/funk, to Latin jazz, and Township jazz/calypso, to Ethiopian pop tunes from the '70s. All of these grooves are incorporated into original compositions by Gershon, except for the three Ethiopian tunes which have been arranged by the band. |
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 More Beautiful Than Death (AC-3282) |
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| Tom Halter - trumpet, flugelhorn Colin Fisher - trumpet, flugelhorn Joel Yennior - trombone Jaleel Shaw - alto saxophone Russ Gershon - tenor, soprano saxophones Charlie Kohlhase - baritone saxophone Dan Kaufman - Steinway, Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos, Hammond B-3 Rick McLaughlin - bass Harvey Wirht - drums Vicente Lebron - congas, bongos, percussion on "Number Three" Miguel Zenon replaces Shaw, add Atemu Aton: bass Recorded June 12-13, 1999, except "Number Three": May 30-31, 1998; bongo overdubs August 6, 1999 at Fort Apache Studios, Cambridge MA Recorded by Matthew Ellard Mixed by Matthew Ellard and Russ Gershon, August/September 1999 Assistant engineers: Scott Eisenberg, Mike Peters Mastered by Jonathan Wyner, M-Works, Cambridge MA Produced by Russ Gershon 1. Amiak Abet Abet (Teshome Sissay; arr. by E/O; 10:03) 2. Number Three (10:20) 3. More Beautiful than Death (10:46) 4. Musicawi Silt (Girma Beyene; arr. by E/O; 6:21) 5. Breaktime for Dougo (8:35) 6. All Those SOBs (8:58) 7. Slow Mambo for J.J. (4:53) 8. Feker Aydelmwey (Ayalew Mesfin; arr. by E/O; 7:09) 9. The Eighth Wonder (6:54) All compositions by Russ Gershon except as noted |
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| Across the Omniverse
A specially-priced two-CD collection, all previously unreleased material from the first ten years of the entertaining and innovative ten-piece jazz ensemble Either/Orchestra. Containing 22 tracks and 145 minutes of music, this is top quality material which simply did not fit on the highly prolific E/O's five albums to date. The sessions which produced all those albums are representedhere, ranging from the group's first studio session in 1986, to their most recent, in September 1995. Also included are two smoking live tracks, Born in a Suitcase featuring John Medeski at the nine-foot concert grand, and She's So Heavy. Across the Omniverse is a great introduction to the E/O, containing many fan favorites which have never been avalable on CD, and is the next in the series for fans who have earlier albums. click here to view in-depth liner notes and a complete player list |
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 Across the Omniverse (Accurate AC-3272) |
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| Fabulous performances by ten years of band members including Matt Wilson, Charlie Kohlhase, Michael Rivard, Russ Gershon, John Dirac, John Carlson, Tom Halter, Douglas Yates, Curtis Hasselbring, Bob Nieske, etc.
The 28 page booklet contains over a dozen pictures and reams of information, including two sets of liner notes, by Neil Tesser (from Chicago) and David Prince (from Santa Fe), program notes from bandleader Russ Gershon, and a list of every place the group has ever played! |
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| THE BRUNT
1992 found the E/O roaming from Florida to Vancouver, Portland Maine to Portland Oregon, New York to LA, marinating a new batch of material as they saw America by car. In two mammoth sessions, they recorded 24 tunes; here are some of the results, including Duke's "Blues for New Orleans" and Dylan's "Lay, Lady, Lay." Their densest, most "big-band" recording. "This amazing ensemble does just about everything right on The Brunt, with wit, smarts, and nonstop chops." Richard Gehr, Village Voice "The most mature, accessible record from the band to date...a delight from start to finish." |Bob McCullough, Boston Globe |
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 The Brunt (AC-3262) |
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Personnel: Tom Halter, tp, flh; John Carlson, tp, flh, pktp; Russell Jewell, Dan Fox, tb; Andrew D'Angelo, as, bcl, cl; Russ Gershon, ts, ss; Charlie Kohlhase, bar.s; Chris Taylor, pn, syn; John Turner, bs; Matt Wilson, dms.
Tracks: 1.Pas de Trois; 2.Notes on a Cliff; 3.Hard Talk; 4.Permit Blues; 5Jon's Dream; 6.H.A.C.; 7.The Brunt; 8.Blues for New Orleans; 9.Lay Lady Lay. |
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| The Calculus of Pleasure
Bandleader Gershon's "Benny Moten's Weird Nightmare," a bass clarinet feature for Douglas Yates, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Arrangement on an Instrumental. Bassist/composer Bob Nieske joined and began his major contribution to the E/O book, and the now-ten piece group (sans guitar) visited '50's classics from Horace Silver and Benny Golson, plus Julius Hemphill's "The Hard Blues." This 1990 recording best reflects the E/O's more intimate, jazz-combo side. "The E/O pays tribute to the earlier masters not by mere re-creation but by redesigning the past to suit their future...consistently stimulating and very exciting: highly recommended "I like everything about this disc-the repertoire, the soloists, the influences, the album title, the generous timing (74-plus minutes), and even the graphic design." "So full of fire it's hot to the touch." |
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 The Calculus of Pleasure (AC-3252) |
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| Personnel: Tom Halter, John Carlson, tp, flh; Russell Jewell, Curtis Hasselbring, tb; Douglas Yates, as, ss; Russ Gershon, ts, ss; Charlie Kohlhase, bar.s, as; John Medeski, pn, or; Bob Nieske, bs; Matt Wilson, dms.
Tracks: 1.Whisper Not; 2.Bennie Moten's Weird Nightmare; 3.Consenting Adults; 4.Ecaroh; 5.Unnatural Pastime; 6.The Hard Blues; 7.Miles Away; 8.Grey. |
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| THE HALF-LIFE OF DESIRE
After touring extensively in 1988-89 with new members John Medeski and Douglas Yates, the E/O really hit its stride in Rudy van Gelder's studio, on Duke Ellington's 90th birthday. Includes John Dirac's orchestral arrangement of the Robert Fripp art-rock classic "Red," Gershon's wild hybrid of Miles' "Circle in the Round" and Duke's "I Got it Bad," the title track ballad feature for Charlie Kohlhase, plus two early Curtis Hasselbring compositions. Guest Mark Sandman of the rock group Morphine sings and plays underwater guitar in a bizarre remake of the Bing Crosby classic, "Temptation." The E/O's most electric recording. "A hallucinatory fantasy." Neil Tesser, Playboy Magazine "Hellbent on both genre-bender hijinx and genuine sonic lustre..." "The hard-swinging but rhythmically elastic 11-piece lineup makes mincemeat out of your expectations." |
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 The Half-Life of Desire (AC-3242) |
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| Personnel: Tom Halter, John Carlson, tp, flh; Russell Jewell, Curtis Hasselbring, tb; Douglas Yates, as (exc. 5), ss; Russ Gershon, ts, ss, fl; Charlie Kohlhase, bar.s, as; John Medeski, (exc. 5) pn, or, DX7; John Dirac, g; Mike Rivard, bs; Jerome Deupree, dms. Track 5, add: Mark Sandman, v, g. solo; Dave Finucane, bcl; Robb Rawlings, as; Kenny Freundlich, pn, syn; Yates, Medeski out.
Tracks: 1.Strange Meridian; 2.Premonitions;3.The Half-Life of Desire; 4.He Who Hesitates; 5.Temptation; 6.Circle in the Round/IGot It Bad; 7.Red. |
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| RADIUM
In 1987-88, the band advanced its sound with Roscoe Mitchell's "Odwallah" (thumbs-up from the composer), "Willow Weep for Me" in a epic classical-big-band-free jazz-blues guitar raveup arrangment, Mingus' "Moanin,'" more Gershon originals, and Freundlich's infamous medley of "Nutty" and "Ode to Billy Joe." Part live, part studio, this disc crackles with warmth and energy. "...shimmeringly beautiful...brilliant...sexy, this is jazz which roars with excitement, snarls with anger and glows like the radium dial on your alarm clock...one helluva disc." Boston Music Award, 1988: Best Jazz Album on an Indie Label |
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 Radium (AC-3232) |
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| Personnel: Tom Halter, John Carlson, tp, flh; Russell Jewell, Curtis Hasselbring, tb; Robb Rawlings, as; Russ Gershon, ts, ss; Charlie Kohlhase, bar.s; Kenny Freundlich, pn, DX7; John Dirac, g; Mike Rivard, bs; Jerome Deupree, dms. Tracks: 1.Born in a Suitcase; 2.Hard to Know; 3.Moanin'- Intro.; 4.Moanin'; 5.Insomnia; 6.Nutty/Ode to Billie Joe; 7.Odwallah; 8.Willow Weep for Me. |
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| DIAL "E"
This is where it all began! In 1986, after their first season together, the E/O recorded Kenny Freundlich's New Orleans-style arrangement of "Doxy," Russ Gershon's take-off-your-clothes version of Roland Kirk's "Lady's Blues," a haunting, raucous group arrangement of Monk's "Brilliant Corners," and two of Gershon's early originals. Reveals the band's basic recipe: big-band lushness, combo agility and avant-pop experimentalism in an entertaining, witty package. Top Ten for 1987: Boston Globe Jazz Critics |
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 Dial "E" for Either/Orchestra (AC-2222) |
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| Personnel: Tom Halter, Dave Ballou, tp; Russell Jewell,Josh Roseman, tb; Robb Rawlings, as; Russ Gershon, ts; Steve Norton, bar.s; Kenny Freundlich, pn, DX7; John Dirac, g; Mike Rivard, bs; Jerome Deupree, dms; Also: Bob Seely, tp; Dan Drexler, tp solos (2,5); Bob Sinfonia, as (5); Copley Cats, v (4). Tracks: 1.Doxy; 2.Nicole is Always in Tokyo; 3.Brilliant Corners; 4.17 December; 5.Lady's Blues. |
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