Washington, D.C. --
The Airmen of Note are picking up steam during this spring, and will be in full “swing” by the time their New England tour begins. You won’t want to miss out, so be sure to check the calendar and get your tickets!
From April 22-30, the Airmen of Note will present a series of community outreach concerts, beginning in Plaistow, New Hampshire, and continuing throughout Massachusetts and Maine for the remainder of the nine-day trip.
With a majority of the performances taking place in Maine, the band is excited to show of the skills of bass trombonist and Maine native Technical Sgt. Ben Polk, who hails from Greenbush. A member since 2013, Sgt. Polk says, “I’m really excited and honored to make this trip with the band. It’s an honor to get to play for friends and family I haven’t seen in quite a while as a member of the Airmen of Note.”
Another member of the band will have the opportunity to play near his hometown as well. Tenor saxophonist Master Sgt. Tedd Baker, is a native of Marshfield, Massachusetts, and began his playing career in the Boston area.
“We haven’t played on the South Shore in my career," shared Baker. "I’m excited to play so close to where I grew up. Marshfield and Duxbury were rivals in sports- Go Rams!”
Sgt. Baker has an unusually strong musical connection to the area. His mother played organ at the Duxbury First Baptist Church, and his first performances on the saxophone took place in the very city where the Note will perform on April 29th.
The Airmen of Note have already had a very productive 2018. In early January, the Note spent several days at the Jazz Education Network (JEN) conference for a series of concerts and clinics. Once back in Washington, the band got to work preparing charts for three Jazz Heritage Series concerts, in addition to several day trips to area high school and colleges, where they gave outreach performances and master classes.
With a new recording project also slated for this spring, the Airmen of Note are working full tilt. This is a perfect time to take it on the road! Historically, jazz musicians would record after a string of dates, whether at one club or on tour through different cities. Playing and travelling together night after night brings a band together in an organic way that can’t be replicated in rehearsal, so the Note is ready to show New England how great that can be!
Tour date and ticket information is available at:
http://www.music.af.mil/Bands/The-United-States-Air-Force-Band/Events/National-Tours/Airmen-of-Note/