NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

10/25/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- The Jazz Ambassadors, the United States Army's premier touring jazz orchestra, will present a concert at Northwestern Monday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

This 19-member big band, formed in 1969, has received great acclaim both at home and abroad performing America's original art form, jazz.

Concerts by the Jazz Ambassadors are designed to entertain all types of audiences. Custom compositions and arrangements highlight the group's creative talent and gifted soloists. Their diverse repertoire includes big band swing, bebop, Latin, contemporary jazz, standards, popular tunes, Dixieland, vocals, and patriotic selections.

The band has appeared in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, and throughout Europe. Notable performances include concerts at international jazz festivals in Montreux, Switzerland; Newport, R.I.; Toronto, Canada; Brussels, Belgium, and the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. In 1995, the Jazz Ambassadors performed in England, Wales, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The band has also been featured in unique joint concerts with major orchestras, including the Detroit and Baltimore symphonies.

Earlier this year, the ensemble traveled to New York City, where they performed with guest musicians Phil Woods and Kevin Mahogany for the International Association for Jazz Education. The concert featured music by the prolific and influential jazz instrumentalist, composer, and arranger Benny Carter, of whom Miles Davis declared, "He's a whole musical education."

Before his death in the summer of 2003, Carter worked with the Jazz Ambassadors in the development of the band's latest recording, "The Legacy of Benny Carter." It includes previously unreleased compositions as well as biographical information, program notes, and historical photographs. When played in a CD-ROM drive, the enhanced CD allows users to print scores and parts to selected arrangements. This recording is available to music educators across the country through the Field Band's educational coordinator.

During its spring tour, the Jazz Ambassadors travelled throughout the northeastern United States. This past summer, they performed in the midwest. In July, they appeared with award-winning composer, pianist, and conductor Marvin Hamlisch and the Boston Pops Orchestra at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

From January through July, the Jazz Ambassadors' concerts have inspired jazz educators and students. Their performances helped to rekindle patriotic spirit, prompting a fan in West Virginia to respond, "I am so proud to be an American and know that my country is represented by such a remarkable group." After hearing them play at Southern Connecticut State University, another listener added, "To my mind, The United States Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors are a musical and diplomatic masterpiece."

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