Army Jazz Band to perform Oct. 27

BELLA VISTA -- The Jazz Ambassadors, the official touring big band of the United States Army, will perform in concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, at the Arend Arts Center in Bentonville.

The concert, which is sponsored by The Weekly Vista, the other weeklies of NWA Media and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is free, but a ticket is required. Tickets will be available beginning Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Weekly Vista office in Town Center West. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and those with tickets are asked to be seated shortly after the doors open. The auditorium will open to the general public at 6:45 p.m.

This 19-member ensemble, formed in 1969, will feature music of J.J. Johnson, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Glenn Miller, Herbie Hancock, Hoagie Carmichael, Count Basie and many more artists. In addition, there will be patriotic favorites and a salute to veterans.

The band is on its fall tour through Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and North Carolina.

Concerts by the Jazz Ambassadors are designed to entertain all types of audiences. Custom compositions and arrangements highlight the group's creative talent and gifted soloists, according to the band's website, www.armyfieldband.com. Its diverse repertoire includes big band swing, bebop, Latin, contemporary jazz, standards, popular tunes, Dixieland, vocals and patriotic selections.

The band has appeared in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India and throughout Europe.

General News on 10/15/2014