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Band of Liberty performs with famed recording artist Crystal Gayle

  • Published
  • By SrA Mickey Ireland
  • USAF Band of Liberty
Boston, MA --  The USAF Band of Liberty recently had the privilege of performing with Grammy Award winner and country music legend Crystal Gayle as part of the "Wednesday Evenings on the Plaza" concert series on August 13th in downtown Boston. A household name in the music business for three decades and counting, Ms. Gayle has toured the world over, garnered numerous awards and sold millions of albums. The many hundreds who came out to City Hall Plaza on this beautiful summer evening found her at the top of her form as she performed not only her greatest hits but also classics from the American song book. 

The Band of Liberty, led by commander and conductor 1st Lt. David Alpar, began the evening with selections from their summer 2008 concert program. After the Star-Spangled Banner and welcoming remarks by Lt. Gen Ted Bowlds, commander of Electronic Systems Center (Hanscom AFB, MA), the band performed the exciting overture to "The Poet and Peasant" by Franz von Suppé. In addition to selections by John Philip Sousa, Leroy Anderson and Jack Stamp, the band featured xylophone soloist SrA Mike Correa in a flashy and virtuosic performance of George Hamilton Greene's "Frivolity". The audience then had the unexpected privilege of hearing Mr. Angelo Picardi, honorary commander of the Band of Liberty, sing three of his signature tunes--"Nessun Dorma", "Granada" and "My Way". Mr. Picardi's charisma and stunning vocal range brought the audience to their feet several times. 

After a brief intermission, Crystal Gayle and her rhythm section joined the Band of Liberty onstage and jumped right into the 1950's hit "Singing the Blues". Ms. Gayle kept the audience on their feet from one tune to the next, striking a wonderful balance between country hits like "That's What I Like about the South" and standards such as "Stardust". Jay Patten, Crystal Gayle's longtime musical director, wowed the audience with his effortless ability to switch between alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, mandolin and vocals. There was one song in particular that many in the audience were holding out for, the song that won her a Grammy Award for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" in 1978. Ms. Gayle did not disappoint, and as the opening piano chords to "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" sounded, a roar of applause filled the air. Crystal closed out her show with a stirring medley of patriotic favorites, paying respect to all the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. 

This memorable concert marked the final installment of the 2008 "Wednesday Evenings on the Plaza" concert series sponsored by Boston Parks and Recreation. The Band of Liberty eagerly looks forward to more performances at City Hall Plaza and other downtown Boston venues in the summer of 2009.