The Either/Orchestra will be continuing its Silver Anniversary Celebration with a performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on Friday, February 11.  Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and you can by them here.  It’s an early show, 7 to 10 pm.  Full press release.

Like December’s 25th anniversary concert in Boston, the NYC edition will feature E/O founder Russ Gershon leading the ten current members of the band plus about 15 alumni.  The alumni on the February 11 show include John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood), Matt Wilson, Josh Roseman, Mike Rivard (Club D’Elf) and many more.

An added bonus will be legendary Ethiopian singer Teshome Mitiku.  Teshome was in the Soul Ekos, one of the most popular groups in East Africa in the late 1960s, before expatriating to Sweden and then the US.  The E/O has been playing his song “Yezamed Yebada” for many years, and began collaborating with him in a headlining appearance at the Chicago Jazz Festival last September.

To complete the effect, psychedelic video art, projected on LPR’s large screens, will be added by a.minor.  a.minor and Gershon shared formative music experiences in the late 70s at a number of Sun Ra shows, including ones with Bill Sebastian’s late, lamented “Spacescapes” light screen.

The concert promises to survey the E/O’s many musical phases, including their latest CD, Mood Music for Time Travellers, and feature the full array of players: four drummers, three bassists, three keyboardists, 15 horns and more.  To call this gathering a stunning array of talent would be an understatement.

Trumpets: Tom Halter, Dan Rosenthal, John Carlson

Trombones; Joel Yennior, Josh Roseman, Curtis Hasselbring, Dan Fox

Reeds: Hailey Niswanger, Russ Gershon, Charlie Kohlhase, Douglas Yates, Jeremy Udden, Henry Cook, Godwin Louis

Guitar: John Dirac

Piano and keys: Rafael Alcala,  John Medeski, Dan Kaufman

Bass: Rick McLaughlin, Mike Rivard, Bob Nieske

Drums: Pablo Bencid, Jerome Deupree, Matt Wilson, Harvey Wirht

Vocals: Teshome Mitiku

Video art by a.minor