By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Tickets are moving fast for the free performance featuring the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Granada Theater. The concert is sponsored by the Register-News.

“This jazz ensemble has performed all across the United States,” Register-News Publisher and Granada Board President Bob Dennis said. “I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to see them in person several times and it’s a spectacular, world class performance.”

“We’ll be playing mostly jazz and then there will be patriotic songs to note the heritage of our military bands and to note our veterans,” said Command Band Manager Chief Master Sgt. Paul T. Runyan. “We have some great musicians, fine young professionals. The best thing they do is represent the professionalism of the United States Air Force. Our goal is when we play, it represents what the Air Force does.”

The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America is the principal musical ambassador of Headquarters Air Mobility Command. The roots of the Band of Mid-America reach back to 1942 in Atlantic City, N. J. In 1944, the band began serving our nation at Scott Air Force Base, as the representative of the Military Air Transport Service, later redesignated as the Military Airlift Command. The squadron’s mission is to uniquely support the Air Force mission through the presentation of world-class musical products and services that promote and support troop morale, recruiting, community relations, and the preservation of our national heritage.

“It hasn’t always been the band it is now,” Runyan added. “It’s has different names throughout the years, but it’s the same organization.”

The diverse group of musicians has a heritage of performing many styles of music for people from all walks of life. The Band of Mid-America is often called upon to provide musical support for visiting dignitaries, and has had the distinction of performing for Pope John Paul II, Queen of the Netherlands, President William Clinton, Vice-President Albert Gore, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Air Force Chief of Staff, Chiefs of Staff of our sister services, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and General (retired) Colin Powell.

The band performs community relations and recruiting concerts for audiences throughout the Midwest, playing more than 400 engagements each year. In its worldwide travels, the band has performed in the Azores, Costa Rica, Barbados, Grenada, Guatemala, Venezuela, Bolivia, Germany and the Netherlands. Each year, band members perform before more than 1 million people in person, and for millions more on television and radio broadcasts.

The Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble is a group of 18 professional enlisted musicians whose repertoire ranges from traditional big band jazz to bebop and swing, to modern jazz. During their concerts, you are likely to hear the music of contemporary composers as you would the classic sounds of Count Basie or Glenn Miller. Several of the band’s members are also gifted composers and arrangers, and their compositions are often featured in concert.

The band has backed many jazz greats such as Tex Benecke, Denis DiBlasio, Jamey Aebersold, Mike Smith, Bobby Shew, Allen Vizzutti, Jeff Jarvis, Mike Vax, Vaughn Nark, Bill Porter, Carmen Bradford, Shelley Berg, Joe Morello, Steve Houghton and Walt Levinsky. Furthermore, the ensemble is often requested for featured performances at jazz clinics and festivals throughout the country.

Occasionally, the Shades of Blue marches onto home plate to perform national anthems for Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball games, or onto center court to perform for Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks National Basketball Association games. They also pay frequent tribute to the Air Force’s musical heritage, and have collaborated with actor Wilford Brimley on a highly acclaimed salute to Major Glenn Miller.

Runyan added that “a fair amount of these guys have been deployed to support our troops overseas. They bring a taste of home to the soldiers.”

Shades of Blue also has a vocalist who will be singing some numbers as well as patriotic songs.

“I think they’ll really enjoy not just the pure musicianship of the concert, but also the connection to the military,” Runyan said.

Tickets to the event are free, however there is limited seating for the performance and advance tickets are available at the Register-News, 911 Broadway. Seating on the day of the performance will be on a first-come, first-served basis while seating lasts.

For more information, you may call 242-0113.