Tags: Big Band, contemporary jazz, ethiopian jazz, jazz, World jazz
Bandguide Member
Summary: Since its beginnings as a kind of punk big band in 1985, the E/O has evolved through many styles of jazz and now encompasses Ethiopian and Afro-Cuban music. Leader Russ Gershon knows how to find and cultivate talented sidemen (ex members include John Medeski, Mike Rivard, Matt Wilson, Miguel Zenon, Jerome Deupree) and keep a large group working and recording. Their latest CD, "Live in Addis," was recorded during the band's two week visit to Ethiopia's capital in 2004. Sometimes considered too idiosyncratic for the mainstream, the E/O is dedicated to finding the groove, playing from the heart and the head, and making connections between seemingly disparate music genres. In their ten albums and over 1000 performances around the world, they are all about meeting the audience halfway and taking them on a ride to new places. Tom Halter and Dan Rosenthal, trumpets; Joel Yennior, trombone; Godwin Louis, Russ Gershon and Charlie Kohlhase, saxes; Rafael Alcala, piano; Rick McLaughlin, bass; Pablo Bencid, drums; Vicente Lebron, congas.
