Tickets may be picked up (limit four) at Memorial Auditorium, 503 N. Pine; Root Coffeehouse & Creperie, 402 N. Broadway; and the Music Department Office in McCray Hall at Pittsburg State University.
Headlining the 7:30 p.m. concert will be the Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force.
Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., it is one of six musical ensembles that form The U.S. Air Force Band. It was created in 1950 to continue the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Forces dance band, and consists of 18 active-duty musicians, including one vocalist.
Through the years, the Airmen of Note has presented its own brand of big band jazz as well as more contemporary forms of jazz to audiences via annual tours across the U.S., deployments around the world, and performances throughout metropolitan Washington D.C.
The group’s commitment to musical excellence has earned the respect of foremost jazz artists worldwide, leading to many collaborative performances and recordings with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, and Doc Severinsen.
The mission of the group is to honor those who have served, inspire American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and connect with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States.
The PSU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Robert Kehle, will open the concert. Throughout the day, student jazz ensembles from 71 high school and middle schools throughout the region will play for judges on campus; those performances also are open to the public. Participating schools include:
Kansas
Missouri
Arkansas
Oklahoma