Russ Gershon

Russ Gershon (born August 11, 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, who founded the Either/Orchestra in Massachusetts in 1985.

Early years and education

Gershon grew up in Westport, Connecticut and attended Harvard University where he received a degree in philosophy and was a disc jockey, jazz director and station manager at Harvard's WHRB radio station. He attended Berklee College of Music in 1984–85. On December 17, 1985 Either/Orchestra played its first live show at the Cambridge Public Library. ^[1]

Career

Gershon founded Accurate Records, which has released albums by Morphine, Medeski Martin & Wood, ^[2] the Alloy Orchestra, Ghost Train Orchestra, the Either/Orchestra, Dominique Eade, and Garrison Fewell. He has been a member of rock bands the Decoders (1980–82), the Sex Execs (1982–84), ^[3] Hypnosonics (1986–1999), Orchestra Morphine (2000–present), ^[4] and Bourbon Princess (2003–2008). ^[5] He has worked as a studio musician and has performed in Boston. ^{[6] [7]}

In 1997, Gershon played arrangements of Ethiopian popular music with the Either/Orchestra. This drew the attention of Francis Falceto, who produced the "Éthiopiques" series of albums to document 20th century Ethiopian music. ^[8] Through Falceto's connections, Gershon and his band were invited to Addis Ababa in 2004 and became the first American big band to perform in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington's in 1973. ^[9] Their principal concert was released as the album Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis and led to working with Ethiopian musicians such as Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Getachew Mekurya, Alemayehu Eshete and Teshome Mitiku. In 2016 Gershon appeared with Ahmed's band at Carnegie Hall. ^[10]

Awards and honors

Grammy Award nomination, Best Original Arrangement of an Instrumental Composition, "Bennie Moten's Weird Nightmare" ^[11]

Discography

As leader

With Either/Orchestra

• Dial "E" (Accurate, 1987) ^[12]
• Radium (Accurate, 1988) ^[13]
• The Half-Life of Desire (Accurate, 1990)
• The Calculus of Pleasure (Accurate, 1992) ^[14]
• The Brunt (Accurate, 1994) ^[15]
• Across the Omniverse (Accurate, 1996) ^[16]
• More Beautiful than Death (Accurate, 2000)
• Afro-Cubism (Accurate, 2002)
• Neo-Modernism (Accurate, 2004)
• Ethiopiques Vol. 20: Live in Addis (Buda Musique, 2005) ^[17]
• Mood Music for Time Travellers (Accurate, 2010)

As sideman

With Morphine

• B-Sides and Otherwise (Rykodisc, 1997)
• Early to Bed (Rykodisc, 1997)
• Potion (Rykodisc, 1997)

With others

• Mulatu Astatke, Mulatu Steps Ahead (Strut, 2010)
• Concussion Ensemble, Stampede (Conc, 1993)
• Bob Merrill, Cheerin' Up the Universe (Accurate, 2015)
• Mark Sandman, Sandbox (Hi-n-Dry, 2004)
• Laurie Sargent, Little Dipper and the Shooting Star (Hi-n-Dry, 2013)
• Throwing Muses, Hunkpapa (4AD, 1989)
• Twinemen, Twinemen (Hi-n-Dry, 2002)

References

1. "Either/Orchestra Handles All Tough Turns of Jazz Road". allaboutjazz.com/. October 27, 2003. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
2. Bambarger, Bradley (October 5, 1996). "Gramavision's MMW build fan base thru road work". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 40. p. 1.
3. Sullivan, Jim (July 2, 1983). "'Til Tuesday Triumphs in Rumble Final". Boston Globe (Online).
4. Catlin, Roger (March 3, 2000). "Morphine Honors Sandman With Touring Orchestra [Statewide Edition]". Hartford Courant . Hartford, CT. p. D3.
5. "Cool Spins". Mix. 29 (3): 140. March 2005.
6. Bambarger, Bradley (June 15, 1996). "Accurate targets Either/Orchestra". Billboard, Vol. 108, Issue 24.
7. Friedwald, Will (February 9, 2011). "Russ Gershon's Wide Big-Band World". Wall Street Journal (Online).
8. Danny A. Mekonnen (Winter 2010). "Ethio-Groove on the World Stage: Music, Mobility, Mediation". Callaloo, Baltimore. 33 (1).
9. West, Michael J. (June 21, 2024). "The creator of Ethio-jazz brings his sound to D.C.". The Washington Post.
10. Elzy Kolb (March 2006). "Either/Orchestra: Ethiopiques Vol. 20: Live in Addis". Jazziz, Gainsville. 23 (3).
11. Bambarger, Bradley (June 15, 1996). "Accurate targets Either/Orchestra". Billboard, Vol. 108, Issue 24.
12. Bambarger, Bradley (June 15, 1996). "Accurate targets Either/Orchestra". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 24. New York, NY. p. 1.
13. Bambarger, Bradley (June 15, 1996). "Accurate targets Either/Orchestra". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 24. New York, NY. p. 1.
14. Joyce, Mike (January 15, 1993). "Either/Orchestra: Definite 'Pleasure': [FINAL Edition]". The Washington Post . pp. N17.
15. Verna, Paul; Gillen, Marilyn; Cronin, Peter (January 21, 1995). "Album Reviews – The Brunt by Either/Orchestra". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 3. New York, NY. p. 58.
16. Bambarger, Bradley (June 15, 1996). "Accurate targets Either/Orchestra". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 24. New York, NY. p. 1.
17. Elzy Kolb (March 2006). "Either/Orchestra: Ethiopiques Vol. 20: Live in Addis". Jazziz, Gainsville. 23 (3).