Arnold Hammerschlag, trumpet, composer

Sam Bardfeld, violin

Will Holshouser, accordion

Aaron Alexander, drums

Fima Ephron, bass

This evening’s performance will explore original compositions on Arnold’s upcoming release on Skirl Records, No Face, No Name. This project was conceived as a personal journey into the music of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Arnold’s compositions evoke haunting beauty from an old world instrumentation of trumpet, violin, accordion, double bass and drums, juxtaposed with an adventurous spirit of improvisation.

Hammerschlag has been a member of Greg Wall’s Simcha All-Stars, Klezmerfest, Midrash Mish Mosh, and also played with many of the klezmorim in the Downtown/ moved to Ditmas Park, Brooklyn scene. He is an exceptional trumpet player, composer and musical thinker.

Arnold emerged from Seattle’s potently creative music scene of the early 90’s where he was a founding member of Timbone, a collective quartet with Briggan Krauss, Aaron Alexander and J. Anthony Granelli. Relocating to New York City in 1994, Arnold’s first release as a leader, Sailing Neptunes Waters (SlaggymanRecords), featured Ethan Iverson, Michel Gentile and Owen Howard. This acoustic group of piano, trumpet, flute and drums performed Arnold’s black box theatre compositions, drawing on Jazz, improvised music and classical sources.

The members of No Face, No Name come from a wide variety of backgrounds.  Violinist Sam Bardfeld performs regularly with the Jazz Passengers and Bruce Springstein. Accordionist Will Holshouser performs regularly with his group Musette Explosion and Regina Carter’s Southern Comfort.  Aaron Alexander leads his own group Midrash Mish Mosh and is a long standing member of Hasidic New Wave and Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars. Bassist Fima Ephron performs with Lost Tribe and Hasidic New Wave.