Band members travel to 11 locations on 13-day tour

By Jennifer Nessmith

Staff writer

The premiere jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force will stop in Melbourne during a 13-day, 11-venue tour to perform a free concert Nov. 15 at Eau Gallie High School's auditorium.

The Airmen of Note, an 18-piece band with 17 instrumentalists and one vocalist, will perform a two-hour concert on its twice-yearly community relations tour, said tour manager Master Sgt. Robert Kamholz.

"(The concert) is a good cross section of the genre of jazz," Master Sgt. Kamholz said. "The band performs Big Band (music) from the 1940s, evolutions of jazz and several patriotic numbers."

The U.S. Air Force Band, which includes the Air Force Strings, Airmen of Note, Ceremonial Brass, Concert Band, Diplomats, Max Impact, Silver Wings and Singing Sergeants, has performed live for more than 100 million people since its beginning in 1941 with the formation of the Bolling Army Air Forces Band under the sponsorship of Lt. L.P. Holcomb, commanding officer of the Air Base Group at Bolling Field.

For members, the band is a full-time job, Master Sgt. Kamholz said.

"It's not like they have side jobs," he said. "The members come into work to practice on their instruments."

Chief Master Sgt. Dudley Hinote, the band's manager and a bass trombone player, said the concert is free, but attendees must obtain tickets.

"We're excited to be able to come down to Florida to play for all of our friends and hopefully make some new friends," Chief Master Sgt. Hinote said.

Tickets are available at Melbourne's Liberty Museum, located at 1601 Hickory St., Melbourne, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, and ticket holders must be seated 15 minutes before the performance begins.

The concert will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Eau Gallie High School Auditorium, located at 1400 Commodore Blvd., Melbourne.

For more information, call Honor America at (321) 727-1776 or visit the U.S. Air Force Band's Web site at www.USAFBand.af.mil.