The Julian Gerstin Sextet, ‘Songbirds of the Deep Sea’ preseneted on The Commons
By The Commons,
BRATTLEBORO-The Julian Gerstin Sextet will be in concert on Friday, April 12, at 8 p.m., at 118 Elliot.
The sextet formed in 2016 and has performed all over New England. "It is a powerhouse of local creative musicians," say organizers, featuring Anna Patton on clarinet, Don Anderson on trumpet, Eugene Uman on piano, Wes Brown on bass, and Ben James on drum set in addition to Gerstin's percussion. They will present a preview of their upcoming recording, Songbirds of the Deep Sea.
"The music is full of melody and wit, creative improvisations and thoughtful compositions, burning percussion grooves and heartfelt melodies," according to a news release. "Based in jazz, it draws on Gerstin's lifelong immersion in music of Africa and the Caribbean, and recent explorations in Balkan and Arabic traditions."
Gerstin explains the guiding concept of the new music. "Imagine being deep under the waves, watching fantastic creatures swim in and out of sight, amazing to see but never staying," he said. "That's music. Always surprising and unknowable."
"The music's varied sounds evoke Afrocuban rumba, Barcelona street fairs, lightning and thunder, a talking forest," say organizers. Drums from Cuba and Martinique mix with rhythms of Gerstin's own invention. "There's straightahead funky jazz too."
