Rio Grande Valley, TX -- Thank you to the Band of the West for providing a most memorable performance. I have heard military bands since my father was stationed on Okinawa after WWII, and yours ranks at the top of the list. And, yes, I recall the Berlin Airlift of '48 & '49 that you saluted in the concert. You could tell you and your colleagues enjoyed the concert as much as we did.
-Bill Green, Laredo Morning Times
The Band of the West's Concert Band, which is the largest of all the ensembles in the band, just finished an exciting and memorable tour through the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. The tour began in Victoria, Texas and ended in Laredo, Texas, stopping by places such as Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville on the way.
The first half of the concert included Wagner's dramatic work, The Flying Dutchman and a Duke Ellington Medley featuring two spectacular vocalists. Master Sergeant Sarah Deluzio and Staff Sergeant Mary Beth McFann took audience members on a nostalgic journey back to Duke Ellington's hey day, with tunes like "Satin Doll", "Solitude", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". Included in the first half were rousing solos by two of the band's own members. Senior Airman Brian Johnson, a percussionist in the band, wowed audiences with his virtuosic performance of Toshiro Mayuzumi's Concertino for Xylophone. Senior Airman Andy Peck drew everyone in with his own arrangement of Sergei Koussevitzky's Concerto for Double Bass, performing it flawlessly.
In the second half of the show the Band of the West saluted the 60th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, commemorating the historical humanitarian achievement that lasted from 1948-1949. Dimensions in Blue Jazz Ensemble had the crowd roaring with its arrangements of "Flying Home" and "Sing, Sing, Sing". Also, to salute that era, the band brought to the stage their very own Andrews Sisters to entertain the crowd and sing in the famous trio's style, complete with WWII Army Air Corps Uniforms. One of the highlights of the tour was when, to the amazement of the auditorium, a pilot who flew in the Berlin Airlift made himself known during the concert at the La Joya ISD Performing Arts Center.
No Air Force Band of the West concert would be complete without saluting our troops serving both currently and in the past. Master Sergeant Sarah Deluzio sang a gripping ballad calling to "Bring Him Home", followed by Staff Sergeant Mary Beth McFann's passionate rendition of "There She Stands", an homage to our nation's flag, which had the audience on their feet every evening. The band's most memorable concert was, appropriately, the final night's performance in Laredo. It was bitter sweet for the group, because it was the final tour for a few of its members. Master Sergeant Deluzio, Master Sergeant Keith Hansen, Master Sergeant Greg Luffey and Master Sergeant Eric Kawamura will all be retiring in the coming months and starting their new lives as civilians. The excitement of the audience on that evening in Laredo is something this band will never forget, as they played not one but two encores by night's end.
The Band of the West did what they do best, executing sensational concerts, impressing audiences with a captivating show, all while representing the Air Force with enthusiasm and pride. They look forward to another tour of crowd pleasing performances later this year.