NY Air Guard hosts Airmen of Note jazz ensemble for free concert in Geneva on June 25

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The Airmen of Note jazz ensemble

GENEVA, NEW YORK (06/23/2023) (readMedia)-- The New York National Guard's 174th Attack Wing, based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, will host a free performance by members of the Air Force Band at Smith Opera House in Geneva at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 25.

Based in Washington D.C., the Air Force Band performs at VIP events in the nation's capital and around the country and around the world.

The band can break down into six musical ensembles that perform different types of music.

The 18-member Airmen of Note ensemble will be performing at the Smith Opera House on June 25. The band specializes in contemporary jazz and big band jazz sounds.

Airmen of Note traces its history back to 1950. The band was formed to continue the legacy of the Army Air Forces Band created by legendary performer Glen Miller during World War II.

Commissioned as an officer in the Army-of which the Air Force was then a part-Miller took the big band sound of the 1940s and applied it to military marches and concerts. Unfortunately, on Dec. 15, 1944, a small plane Major Glen Millers was flying over the English Channel in vanished.

Airmen of Note continues his legacy by playing with major performers, including Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, and Doc Severinsen.

The band's cover of the Louis Armstrong song "Cool Yule" reached number two on JazzWeek Jazz chart.

The Airman of Note also features songs composed by members of the band themselves.

The two-hour show is free. Tickets can be obtained by going to the Air Force Band website here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-airmen-of-note-live-in-geneva-tickets-597420951147?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Col. Charles Hutson, the Vice Commander of the 174th Attack Wing will introduce the band and welcome guests to the show.

The 174th Attack Wing operates the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft in support of U.S. forces around the world. The wing also trains MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators and responds to New York State emergencies when directed by the governor.

Members of the press are invited to cover the concert and interview members of the band with connections to Central New York.

Reporters should contact Major Suzanne Jedrosko at 315-744-0693 for more information or to arrange coverage.