Accordionist Will Holshouser and his group, Musette Explosion will perform on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at Birdland, 315 West 44th St,New York, NY 

Early time slot — 6:00 pm (75 minute show)
$25 cover, $10 food or drink minimum (dinner menu available)
Will Holshouser, accordion
Matt Munisteri, guitar & banjo
Marcus Rojas, tuba

Will Holshouser was given an accordion as a surprise when he was still young and impressionable. He has since found a unique niche for himself as an accordionist, improviser, and composer in many different areas of music. He tours regularly with jazz violinist Regina Carter and her band Reverse Thread. He also plays in a collaborative trio with Amsterdam-based improvisers, drummer Han Bennink & saxophonist/clarinetist Michael Moore. This group has a new CD out and has toured in Europe, the US and Africa.

Will’s long-standing trio features Ron Horton on trumpet and David Phillips on bass. Together since 1998, these three have developed a truly unified group sound. The trio has three CDs out on the Portuguese label Clean Feed. Their third CD, Palace Ghosts and Drunken Hymns was recorded in Portugal with the late, brilliant pianist Bernardo Sassetti as special guest.

Will has also played with David Krakauer, Antony and the Johnsons, Martha Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright, Andy Statman, Phillip Johnston, Matt Munisteri & Brock Mumford, the Raymond Scott (tribute) Orchestrette, Roberto Rodriguez, Mark Morris Dance, New York City Ballet, Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others.

Will studied composition with Anthony Braxton and Bill Barron at Wesleyan University, where he received a grant to research Cajun and Creole music in Louisiana. After moving to New York in the early 1990s, he studied accordion with Dr. William Schimmel. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and daughter.

Musette Explosion is a dynamic trio including Matt Munisteri, Marcus Rojas, and Will Holshouser. They released their first album on Nov. 1st, 2014. Three of New York’s most in-demand virtuoso musicians, each with a distinctive voice on his instrument, explore and expand on Parisian musette. They bring this multicultural dancehall music to new places through the highest improvisational communication, emotionally honest performances, and original compositions.

Future performances include:
Aug. 10 / Chautauqua Institution’s Logan Chamber Music Series

Aug. 11 / The Bop Shop, Rochester NY 

Aug. 27 / The Towers, Narragansett RI 

Sept. 18 / Monterey Jazz Festival 

Sept. 24 / Djangofest Northwest 

David Krakauer’s Acoustic Klezmer Quartet:
June 20 / Montreal Chamber Music Festival


Will solo:
Aug. 7 / short set at Bill Schimmel’s Master Class and Concert Series
Tenri Institute, NYC

For further information: will@willholshouser.com