WPAA

COLBY — The internationally acclaimed Jazz Ambassadors of Washington, DC continues its long tradition of presenting free public performances when it appears at Colby Community College’s Cultural Arts Center, on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. CDT. The Jazz Ambassadors’ concert in Colby is sponsored by Western Plains Arts Association.

While the concert is free, the military band requests all those attending send a self-addressed stamped envelope to request free tickets by mail, indicating the number of tickets requested. Please write Jazz Ambassadors Tickets, c/o Pat Ziegelmeier, WPAA, 1255 S. Range Ave., Colby, KS 67701.

The Jazz Ambassadors is the official touring big band of the United States Army. Formed in 1969, the 19-member ensemble has received great acclaim at home and abroad performing America’s greatest original art form, jazz.

Concerts by the Jazz Ambassadors are programmed to entertain all types of audiences. The band’s diverse repertoire includes big band swing, bebop, Latin, contemporary jazz, standards, popular tunes, Dixieland, vocals, and patriotic selections, many of which are written or arranged by members of the Jazz Ambassadors.

The Jazz Ambassadors has appeared in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, and throughout Europe. Recent notable performances include concerts at the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Richmond Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Jazz Education Network Conference, and an appearance on the Colbert Report.

Notable performers who have shared the stage with the Jazz Ambassadors are: Gordon Goodwin, Bobby Shew, Ernie Watts, and the Dave Brubeck All-Star Quintet. The band has appeared in joint concerts with Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Pops, the Colorado Pops Orchestra and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. The band’s rigorous touring schedule and reputation for excellence has earned it the title “America’s Big Band.”