MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The United States Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble will perform a free concert on Thursday, Nov. 7 in Mechanicsburg, the band announced this week.
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Messiah University. The performance is free and open to the public, though some tour concerts may require ticket reservations.
The performance will feature the music of Duke Ellington, as 2024 marks what would have been his 125th birthday, as well as the centennial anniversary of the birth of legendary jazz vocalist and pianist Sarah Vaughn.
Selections will also include originals and familiar arrangements by members of the Commodores.
As the Navy's premier jazz ensemble, the Commodores have been performing the very best of big band jazz for the Navy and the nation for more than 50 years. Formed in 1969, this 18-member group continues the jazz big band legacy with some of the finest musicians in the world.
The Commodores' mission includes public concerts, national concert tours, ceremonial support in honoring our veterans, jazz education classes and clinics, and protocol performances for high-level military and civilian government officials.
"Touring the nation and performing concerts means connecting with communities and telling the great stories of our Sailors working around the globe to keep us safe and freem," said Cmdr. Robert "Seph" Coats, commanding officer of the U.S. Navy Band.
