The Arcanauts + Julian Gerstin Sextet

Get an advance look at The Julian Gerstin Sextet’s soon-to-be-released 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. 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. The group is a powerhouse of local creative musicians: Anna Patton on clarinet, Don Anderson on trumpet, Eugene Uman piano, Wes Brown bass, Ben James drum set, in addition to Gerstin’s percussion.

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. That’s music. Always surprising and unknowable.” The music’s varied sounds evoke Afrocuban rumba, Barcelona street fairs, lightning and thunder, a talking forest. Drums from Cuba and Martinique mix with…