One of the
best things about having a career at the Department of Defense,
Pentagon Wash D.C. (errrrr -- better make that the Very BEST thing)
is catching the Airmen of Note during noon lunch break.
For more than half a century, the USAF Band and the Airmen of
Note have followed in the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army
Air Force Band. The band is stationed at Bolling Field in Washington
but is on the road a great deal. When in town, they often play
in the Pentagon Center Court from noon to 1:15 PM. They also play
evenings on Capitol Hill and at the Potomac Watergate behind the
Lincoln Memorial.
Believe it or not, the absolute center of the Pentagon Center
Court is a fast food eatery where you can buy junk food, sit around,
and catch the sounds of the Airmen. Jazz artists playing in town
at places like Blues Alley in Georgetown are invited to play with
the band and often show up. The late Stan Getz and Joe Williams
were both regulars.
A good friend, an Air Force major, handled travel plans for the
band and supplied me with advanced copies of Airmen recordings.
They played a lot of old as well as current charts. I wish I could
turn the clock back and see them again but alas....
Click
here to download music (for free) by the Airmen of Note and
the larger United States Air Force Band. Bookmark these pages!
You'll be back!
Bob Stimac
Port Orange, Florida
Email
Me
