Julian Gerstin Sextet

Julian Gerstin, percussionist and composer, is a veteran of many African, Latin and jazz bands. A well-known musician in the southern Vermont/northwestern Massachusetts scene, Julian has performed traditional Afrocuban percussion with Iroko Nuevo and Puerto Rican with Bomba de Aquí; has appeared in jazz with Sheila Jordan, Charles Neville, and Joel Harrison; in afropop with Orlando Julius, Kenneth Okulolo, and Zulu Spear; and has also worked in punk, funk, choral music, and theater composition. Much of the Sextet’s music stems from Julian’s two-year experience living in Martinique, studying and performing traditional music. Julian has a PhD in anthropology, has published extensively in ethnomusicological journals, and taught for 27 years at schools including Wesleyan University, Clark University, and Marlboro College. Anna Patton, clarinet, is highly in demand as a contradance clarinetist leading the popular band Elixir, works extensively in Bulgarian music, and teaches workshops at contra and Balkan clinics across the United States. Don Anderson, trumpet, has performed lead roles with the Latin big band Creación, Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, and many other ensembles. Eugene Uman, piano, has performed with notables such as Sonny Fortune, Sheila Jordan, Bobby Sanabria, and Bo Diddley. He is Executive/Artistic Director of the Vermont Jazz Center and teaches piano at Amherst College. Wes Brown, bass, has worked extensively with jazz luminaries from Earl “Fatha” Hines to Wadada Leo Smith and Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Ensemble. Ben James, drums, has worked with John Tchicai, Olatunji, Green Mountain Mambo, and many others.