U.S. Air Force Commanders Jazz Ensemble to Perform Free Concert In Musco Center

Musco Center for the Arts and the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West will present a free concert by the Commanders Jazz Ensemble on Wednesday, August 14 at 7:30 pm.

Residents of the City of Orange and across Orange County are invited to come experience this celebrated 18-member Big Band in the acoustic perfection of Musco Center. The program will feature live jazz, Broadway favorites, and patriotic music. Guests are welcome to arrive as early as 5:30 pm to take part in a community celebration on the Aitken Arts Plaza, located in front of Musco Center, with hands-on family activities prior to the concert.

This is the second free summer concert hosted by Musco Center this year.

"These concerts are Musco Center and Chapman University's thank you to our community for their strong support during our first three years," said Musco Center Executive Director Richard T. Bryant. "Both the U.S. Air Force Jazz Ensemble's performance and the Pacific Symphony concert on August 3 will allow people of all ages to come together with their families and neighbors for wonderful musical experiences, the first on the grass of Aitken Arts Plaza and the second inside the hall."

The 18-member Commanders Jazz Ensemble is a component of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West. The 60-member Band of the Golden West, made up entirely of professional musicians who are also active-duty Airmen, is comprised of eight different performing groups under the direction of Captain Joseph S. Hansen. It is the only active-duty Air Force band west of the Rockies.

The Commanders, one of the eight performing groups, carries on America's great Big Band tradition. It offers much beyond the Big Band sound, however, delivering the full gamut of jazz music from traditional, swing, bebop and cool, as well as Broadway favorites and patriotic music.

In addition to performing for civilian communities throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada, the band supports 13 Air Force bases, eight Air Force Reserve Wings, and six recruiting squadrons, reaching over 1.5 million fans in more than 250 annual performances.

The Band of the Golden West, based on San Francisco's Travis Air Force Base, has performed for gubernatorial inaugurations, with guest artists such as Marvin Stamm, Arturo Sandoval, and Bob Hope, and for fans of Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and others. In the last ten years the band has led off three Tournament of Roses parades. In 2004 it was honored to support the interment ceremony of President Ronald Reagan in Simi Valley, an event viewed by a global TV audience of over 400 million. More recently, the group was featured with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

These concerts are free, but tickets are recommended for the USAF concert on August 14. No tickets are required for the Pacific Symphony concert on August 3. For more information call 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726) or email info@muscocenter.org.

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