Welcome!

U.S. Army Blues

Jazz Ensemble

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

FREE CONCERT

7:30 PM at SOPAC

The United States Army Blues Jazz Ensemble began as the U.S. Army Dance Band in 1942. Its original function was to entertain soldiers and civilians in the battle zone during WWII. Over the years, it has evolved into the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Army. As a component of the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” the Army Blues is one of the few remaining professional groups of its kind. Comprised of alumni of prestigious music schools and veterans of the professional music scene, it is an ensemble of the finest jazz musicians in the nation.

The 18-piece ensemble has performed at world-renowned venues including the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and New York City’s historic “Birdland.” The Army Blues has also performed with jazz greats Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Stanley Turrentine, Louis Bellson, Marlena Shaw, James Moody, Kevin Mahogany, Dave Brubeck, Slide Hampton and Dr. Billy Taylor. The group is a regular performer at the International Association of Jazz Educators International Trumpet Guild and International Trombone Conferences. Performances at the White House, State Department, and various high-profile military venues are not uncommon. Also, the Army Blues plays an important role in community outreach by performing for the public around the National Capitol Region. In conjunction with the USO and the office of the Sergeant Major of the Army, members volunteer their services to perform in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait during the holiday season in support of their fellow Soldiers stationed overseas.

Vince Giordano

and the Nighthawks

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

7:30 PM at SOPAC

Vince Giordano and his big band, the Nighthawks, a band dedicated to playing the Golden Era of jazz repertory are renowned on the New York scene for their commitment to preserving and authentically presenting 1920s & 30's jazz and popular music.

Vince Giordano and his big band, the Nighthawks, has been booked for black-tie galas and private parties as well as the Rainbow Room, the Carlyle, "21" and the Copacabana. Giordano has also played at the Smithsonian, Carnegie Hall, the JVC Jazz Festival and Lincoln Center. He lent his talents to Francis Ford Coppola's film The Cotton Club, and then as a bass player in Sean Penn's band in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown. He and band were featured in Gus Van Sant's film Finding Forrester, in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, and most recently in Robert DeNiro's film, The Good Shepherd. Also a big-band historian and collector, Giordano has more than 30,000 scores in his collection. Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks are renowned on the New York scene for their commitment to preserving and authentically presenting 1920s & 30s jazz and popular music.

In 30 years as a bandleader, Vince Giordano has become the authority on recreating the sounds of “Roaring 20s” and 1930s jazz and popular music. Giordano and his big band, the Nighthawks, recorded a series of Depression-era hits for the soundtrack of Martin Scorsese's, The Aviator, ripping through instrumentals and serving as the back-up band for singers like David Johansen and Rufus Wainwright. "I just love the energy of the early jazz," says Giordano. "I wanted to recapture some of that."

Early appearances on Prairie Home Companion and in the movie The Cotton Club led to work in half-a-dozen Woody Allen films, including Sweet and Lowdown and Zelig. His diverse musical involvements also include backing up Madonna doing a striptease in Bloodhounds Of Broadway, and working with such varied institutions as the New York Philharmonic and Leon Redbone.

Please arrive 15-20 minutes prior to the beginning of each concert.