More Beautiful than Death (Accurate Records)
Either/Orchestra
Released March 21, 2000
All About Jazz Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969
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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.
The result is an intoxicating brew, forceful and seductive, with memorable melodies, superb ensemble playing and some of the best soloing ever heard in the long history of the Either/Orchestra. This is without a doubt the most accessible E/O album ever. The groove emphasis brings the E/O’s tradition of challenging writing and cutting edge playing into a form that will be enjoyed by fans of African music, Latin music, even reggae and jam bands, without losing the core of E/O fans and jazz critics.
Track Listing:
1. Amiak Abet Abet (Teshome Sissay; arr. by E/O) 10:03
2. Number Three (Russ Gershon) 10:20
3. More Beautiful than Death (Russ Gershon) 10:46
4. Musicawi Silt (Girma Beyene; arr. by E/O; 6:21
5. Breaktime for Dougo (Russ Gershon) 8:35
6. All Those SOBs (Russ Gershon) 8:58
7. Slow Mambo for J.J. (Russ Gershon) 4:53
8. Feker Aydelmwey (Ayalew Mesfin; arr. by E/O; 7:09
9. The Eighth Wonder (Russ Gershon) 6:54
Personnel:
Either/Orchestra
Trumpet, flugelhorn: Tom Halter, Colin Fisher
Trombone: Joel Yennior
Saxophone: Jaleel Shaw (alto), Russ Gershon (tenor, soprano), Charlie Kohlhase (baritone), Miguel Zenon (alto on track 2)
Steinway, Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos, Hammond B-3: Dan Kaufman
Bass: Rick McLaughlin, Atemu Aton (on track 2)
Drums: Harvey Wirht
Congas, bongos, percussion: Vicente Lebron
Recorded May 30 – 31, 1998 (track #2), June 12 – 13, 1999, and August 6, 1999 (bongo overdubs) at Fort Apache Studios, Cambridge MA, by Matthew Ellard
Mixed by Matthew Ellard and Russ Gershon
Assistant engineers: Scott Eisenberg, Mike Peters
Mastered by Jonathan Wyner, M-Works, Cambridge MA
Produced by Russ Gershon
Review:
For those who appreciate big–band music that wanders from the beaten path but never far enough to exhaust one’s patience, the Massachusetts–based Either / Orchestra is designed to please. There are no shopworn standards in its book; instead, the E / O takes the listener on a bracing musical journey from North American Jazz / blues / funk to Latin and Township Jazz / calypso all the way to Ethiopian pop songs of the ’70s. Six of the nine selections on More Beautiful Than Death, the orchestra’s first album since 1996, were written by leader / saxophonist Russ Gershon, the others by Teshone Sissay (“Amiak Abet Abet”), Girma Beyenet (“Musicawi Silt”) and Ayalew Mesfin (“Feker Aydelmwey”). There’s enough African, Latin and reggae–inspired music to beckon a wide audience, enough Jazz to placate the purists. The undermanned E / O (it’s actually a tentet) has found a way to keep the music accessible without sacrificing its integrity, an arduous balancing act but one that can pay handsome dividends when performed correctly, as it is here. Although the label “new and improved” is nowhere to be seen, seven members of the orchestra (nine including alto Miguel Zenon and bassist Atemu Aton, who appear only on “Number Three”) are making their E / O debut — Gershon, baritone saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase and trumpeter Tom Halter are the only holdovers. Each of the newcomers makes a sharp impression, with keyboardist Dan Kaufman, drummer Harvey Wirht and percussionist Vicente Lebron especially engaging. Gershon is a clever writer who draws from a wide array of sources and knows how to keep a listener on his toes. The zestful “Breaktime for Dougo” summons to mind the Cuban ensemble Irakere at its best, whereas “Slow Mambo for JJ” (which engirds altoist Jaleel Shaw’s most productive solo) is more akin to Tito Puente or even Perez Prado. Gershon’s soprano brightens the scampering “Feker Aydelmwey,” while Kohlhase flexes his improvisational muscles on the dream–like “More Beautiful Than Death” and “Musicawi Silt” and Halter does likewise on “Amiak Abet Abet” and “All Those Sobs.” After four years away from the recording studio, the newly reinforced Either / Orchestra is more durable and dynamic than ever.
Jack Bowers (All About Jazz)
