Word: gershon
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...Russ Gershon's resume must list at least nine professions.Russ Gershon's resume must list at least nine professions. In alphabetical order, he is a bandleader, player and producer; an entrepreneur; a composer; a jazz musician; a punk rocker; a saxophonist; and a touring musician. Your typical Harvard over-achiever? Yes. Your typical Harvard graduate? Not a chance...
...Gershon is best known as the leader of the Either/Orchestra, a group that has become the bedrock of Boston jazz, and as the president and founder of Accurate Records, a label that has become a focal point in Boston music in general. Along the way, he has nabbed a Grammy nomination, released over 80 albums on his Accurate Records label, and toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe...
...Gershon came to Harvard as a first-year in 1977 with almost no musical experience. While an undergraduate, he and several classmates formed The Decoders, a rock band that became popular at Adams House parties. The band parlayed their on-campus success into off-campus gigs in the Boston area. They soon began playing frequently at legendary New York venues like CBGB's and The Mudd Club, and even pulled off a two-month tour while still undergraduates...
...After graduation, Gershon joined The Sex Execs, a local band comprised mainly of Yalies transplanted to Boston. Two of the players in that group were Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie, who have since built impressive resumes as producers: Dinosaur Jr., Courtney Love, Radiohead and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are just a few of the names they have worked with. The Sex Execs had a local hit and became part of the vibrant early 1980's rock scene in Boston...
...After leaving The Sex Execs in 1984, Gershon returned to school at Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee in 1985, he met the group of musicians who became the foundation of the Either/Orchestra and the band quickly became known for eccentric material and quirky performances. By the 1980s, most jazz had become neo-conservative and stuffy, but the Either/Orchestra had humor and wit. While Wynton Marsalis was getting started at Lincoln Center and oiling up hits from the 1920s, Gershon and company were playing at a self-proclaimed "Bill Walton" night at a local bar (which Celtics star Bill...