10:15 a.m., March 27, 2003--UD’s Department of Music and the Delaware unit of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) present the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble in concert at 7:15 p.m., Friday, March 28, in Loudis Recital Hall of the Amy E. du Pont Music Building. The concert is free and open to the public.

Army Blues pays tribute to the big bands of yesteryear with performances of music made popular by the great bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman and the like. The ensemble also performs innovative works by contemporary jazz composers and original works by U.S. Army Band staff arrangers and composers. The 18-piece ensemble has performed at international jazz festivals throughout the world, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

The Army’s premier jazz ensemble carries on a tradition begun by the Army Dance Band, which entertained soldiers and civilians in the battle zone during World War II and the Korean War.

The group performs at the White House and regularly entertains at military and State Department functions and events. In support of Army recruiting efforts, Army Blues presents concerts at schools throughout the country.