Air Force concert goes jazzy

The military drum marks a jazzy beat as The Commanders Jazz Ensemble, a division of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, presents a free concert at 7 p.m. tonight at the Carson City Community Center.

The "Getting in the Mood" concert is an advance event for the Jazz! Carson City music festival coming up in August, which is co-sponsored by Mile High Jazz Band Association.

The Commanders, based at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California under the direction of Tech. Sgt. Jim Butler, consists of 18 members and occasional civilian guests. The highly skilled musicians carry on the American musical tradition of the great big bands, with flights through the full gamut of jazz music: traditional, cool, bop, swing, Broadway, pop, Latin and patriotic music. They also recall the jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Count Basie, to Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and more modern sounds.

Although The Commanders concert is free, people are encouraged to get their free tickets in advance. Tickets will guarantee general admission seating up to 6:45 p.m., at which time seating will be open to standbys. Tickets are available at Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall and at the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1900 S. Carson St., Suite #100.

For more information about "Getting in the Mood" concert and Jazz! Carson City, go to milehighjazz.com, or call 775-883-4154. For more information about The Commanders, go to www.bandofthegoldenwest.af.mil and go the "ensembles" page.