Band of the Golden West ensemble to play at festival

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Rob Rhyne
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Inspector General
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The nonprofit Vaca Jazz Society is sponsoring the 10th Annual "Save Our Music" Vacaville Jazz Festival today through Sunday. This event will feature nearly 40 groups, including local schools, youth camp students, community bands and professional musicians. 

Music will begin Friday evening at the Vacaville Town Square Friday evening, and expand into the Nut Tree shopping center Saturday. Headliners include Grammy Award-winning Santana trumpeter Julius Melendez and Cuban percussionist Carlos Caro performing with Vacaville's Alive Music Orchestra, and local favorite Latin band Sapo Guapo. 

The festival concludes on "Gospel Jazz Sunday" with the traditional "Freedom's Gate" POW/MIA Military Tribute ceremony at 5:30 p.m., where Col. Jim Vechery, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, and local leaders will speak. Capping off the event is the premiere performance by the Commanders Jazz Ensemble of the USAF Band of the Golden West. 

The Commanders, a newly revived ensemble, carries on the American musical tradition of the great big bands. This energetic group, formed from about a dozen Airmen, delivers the full gamut of jazz music - traditional jazz, cool, bop, swing, Broadway favorites, popular tunes, Latino rhythms and patriotic music. 

The mission of the Vaca Jazz Society is to "Save Our Music." Since 1999 the non-profit Vaca Jazz Society has provided and promoted quality jazz music in Solano County. 

For more information on the Vaca Jazz Society and the Jazz Festival, or to become a member, visit their Web site at www.vacajazzsociety.org.