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One of Milwaukee's longest-serving jazz ensembles is calling it quits. After 25 years together, Clamnation will play its final show on Friday, Feb. 27 at the Nomad Pub. The breakup was spurred by percussionist Tom Presser's impending move to Minneapolis. “It just wouldn’t be the same without him,” drummer Jay Arpin, another founding member of the band, wrote in a statement. “He’s been my percussionist, my go-to guy, for 25 years. I couldn’t imagine this band without him!”
Clamnation emerged in the early '90s as an offshoot of the blues-rock group The Clams. Over the years the group's interests shifted toward jazz, particularly classic Blue Note recordings and Latin jazz, and the group cemented themselves as a fixture in the local jazz scene, sharing lineups with some of Milwaukee's most respected players. The group released four albums, the most recent of which was 2008's Cookin' at the Fox Note.