There’s always been music of some sort during Farm Day, but last year we gained our stride with the tight musical presence of Russ Gershon, and two New England Conservatory students. Russ has agreed to come again, and to bring with him bassist Larry Roland, drummer Akili Jamal Haynes, and Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke.

Russ Gershon, who grew up in New York City, gravitated to saxophone under the influence of Rahsaan Roland Kirk and John Coltrane. He has been the leader of the brass ensemble, Either/Orchestra for over 20 years. In 2004 they collaborated with Mulatu Astatke, and on September 29th, they performed together once again, at the Somerville Theater. (www.either-orchestra.org)

Mulatu Astatke is one of those unique musicians to have invented a new sound, Ethio-Jazz. Born in Ethiopia, trained in London, New York, and Boston (Berklee), his Ethio-Jazz is a combination of traditional and religious Ethiopian music, woven with Latin American and contemporary jazz elements. Duke Ellington traveled to Addis Ababa to play with him, in 1973. Mulatu’s music was featured on the sound track of Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers.