Jazz Ambassadors to offer patriotic tribute at State Theatre
A patriotic trend sparked by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will help to attract a full-capacity crowd to the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when the Jazz Ambassadors, a 19-piece jazz ensemble from the U.S. Army, will perform. A variety of patriotic selections will greet the audience as musicians within the Army’s ranks deliver instrument and vocal-filled renditions of “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “Muttnik,” “Backwater Blues,” “A Visit to New Orleans” and “Will You Still Love Me.”
“The Lady with the Pretty Legs” will open the concert, as the popular patriotic tune “God Bless America” will close the event.
Audience members, who served in the military, are invited to stand and salute while these pieces and other signature songs that mark and promote the legacy and ideals of the U.S. Army and other military branches will be played.
“It will be a wonderful night,” said Karen Tweardy, promotion coordinator for Herald-Standard-sponsored events. “It is like a celebration. People are enthused, and the whole audience stands to applaud. It is a highlight event every year that we do it.”
The concert, which is sponsored by the State Theatre Center for the Arts and the Herald-Standard, is expected to attract a large crowd.
Chris Wagner, executive director of the State Theatre Center for the Arts, said concert tickets went quickly because of the caliber of the military band, as well as the popularity of patriotism in Fayette County and throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. Another reason for the concert’s popularity is the fact that tickets are offered free to the public.
Feedback from audience members in recent years has confirmed the popularity of military bands and their accompanying music. Wagner said the telephone at the State Theatre “rang off the hook” after the last military band performance in the area.
“Every seat in the house is taken for these performances,” Wagner said.
The Sept. 11 attacks on America and the wave of patriotism that swept across the nation after the attacks serve to enhance the audience’s love for patriotic music, according to Wagner, who thinks military band performances are “great.”
“Generally, people love patriotic music,” Wagner said. “They have loved it in the past and will love this type of music in the future.”
Each and every time military bands play in Uniontown, Tweardy said, the concerts are almost always filled to the brim with attendants. A crowd of ex-military men and women are expected to serve as a large portion of the audience, according to Tweardy.
“They enjoy this type of music, although the bands do play a nice cross-section of music for all to enjoy,” she said. “The theater has always enthusiastically welcomed the military bands. I’m so glad that we can work on these projects together with the State Theatre.”
Each year, Tweardy sends letters to the military bands that exist in each brand of the U.S. military divisions. And every year, she hopes for a positive response that may lead to an appearance of a military band at a large-capacity venue in or around Uniontown such as the State Theatre, which can accommodate more than 1,400 people. So far, Tweardy has succeeded in booking a military band performance every year for the past several years.
The Jazz Ambassadors is the official touring jazz ensemble of the Department of the Army and one part of the U.S. Army Field Band of Washington D.C., according to a press release. The 19-piece ensemble trek across the country and across international lines, delivering their flavor of patriotic jazz music to an assortment of audiences.
Concerts in all 50 states, in addition to performances in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, are among the band’s highlights.
Noticing the increasing demand for Big Band and stage performances, Major Hal Gibson, commander of the Field Band, originally formed the Studio Band in 1969. As a result of his actions, Gibson created the official touring jazz ensemble of the U.S. Army.
While traveling across the nation entertaining audiences, the band changed its name twice. First, to the “Soldiers of Sound” and second to the “Jazz Ambassadors.” This name change occurred in 1979 and is still in effect. Musicians in the ensemble hold music degrees from leading institutions of higher education, have professional experience in music field or belong to professional musical organizations. Several are also published composers or arrangers.
Ensemble members say they are proud to be the U.S. Army’s finest set of musicians, who are chosen through an intensely competitive auditioning process, according to a press release. The ensemble’s musical style conforms to big band standards that implement a variety of instruments. With a mix of patriotic tunes and the rhythm of jazz that threads its way through every song, the Jazz Ambassadors combine a number of aspects for a sound loosely titled “military music” with a twist.
The show is expected to last two hours and is free to those who have acquired tickets through the Herald-Standard’s mid-October coupon distribution. But, according to Tweardy, those without tickets may also have a chance at seating.
“As with every concert, some decide not to show,” Tweardy said. “In that case, spots may be made available for patrons without tickets. Those people will be seated 10 minutes before show time. We always have an enthusiastic audience, and the bands are also enthusiastic. It is a great performance for everyone when we have this type of band come to play. I look forward to it every year.”