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Air Force Band will perform on June 10

PARKERSBURG — The United States Air Force Heritage Band’s Rhythm in Blue jazz ensemble will perform in a free concert 7 p.m. June 10 at the Smoot Theatre in downtown Parkersburg.

The concert is sponsored by the Smoot Theater and The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, which has brought many of the renown military bands to Parkersburg for free shows.

While the concert is free, patrons will have to obtain the complimentary tickets at the Smoot box office from noon-5 p.m. weekdays, said Felice Jorgeson, executive director of the Smoot Theatre. There is a limit of eight free tickets per person and they will be available until all are gone, Jorgeson said.

Tickets can be obtained at the box, by calling the box office at 304 422-PLAY (7529) or going to the Smoot Theatre’s website, smootheatre.com, Jorgeson said.

The United States Air Force Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble is comprised of 15 professional musicians who have performed around the world. The band’s repertoire runs the gamut from big band swing to cutting-edge contemporary music.

“It’s a group not unlike our Smoot House Band,” said Jorgeson, who leads the House Band and is a former band director at Parkersburg High School.

And it’s free, Jorgeson said.

The performance at the theatre has numerous advantages besides giving residents an affordable means of watching professional musicians perform. Being inside, the audience doesn’t have to worry about the rain or the sun being in their eyes.

“And the air conditioning works,” Jorgeson said.

Activated in 1941, the United States Air Force Heritage Band was created in 1941. It is stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va., and travels throughout the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.

The band performs are more than 300 events each year and is under the leadership of Capt. Michael D. Hoerber.

The concert will follow the West Virginia launch of the Shale Crescent USA program at the Smoot Theatre. The event, which is free and will include Bob Huggins, coach of the West Virginia University basketball team, will be 3:15-5 p.m. Tuesday.

Shale Crescent USA is dedicated to the development of the area through natural gas as a primary fuel.

On June 11, the United States Air Force Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble will perform at 2 p.m. in the Ripley High School Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public, but those attending are urged to pick up a free ticket at Ripley City Hall, the Jackson County Public Library and other locations. For information, contact the Ripley Convention and Visitors Bureau at 304-514-2609 or visit HeritageofAmericaBand@af.mil.

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