The Commodores will be in concert Sunday in Troy. No, not the Commodores from Tuskegee, who featured Lionel Ritchie. It is the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, a nationally renowned jazz ensemble.
The 18-piece group plays at Troy’s Crosby Theatre at 7 p.m. Sunday, October 22. You can obtain tickets for the Troy concert at U.S. Navy Band Commodores - 2023 National Tour - Troy, AL Tickets in Troy, AL, United States (ticketleap.com) Tickets are free but still needed for admittance.
The band features an eclectic mix of big band music, jazz vocal arrangements, patriotic songs, and instrumentals.
The Commodores have performed with Ray Charles, Branford Marsalis, Lawrence Welk, and Glen Campbell.
The band is on a national tour that includes performances in Gainesville, Fla.; Arlington, Va.; Lakeland, Fla.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Sandford, Fla.; Bethesda, Md.; Asheboro, N.C.; Baltimore, Md.; and Washington, D.C.
The Troy concert is the only one scheduled in Alabama.
The year’s season wraps up in DAR Constitution Hall in Washington Dec. 16-17 with three sold-out holiday and patriotic concerts.
For more information and the complete 2023 schedule of concerts, go to the United States Navy Band website.
A predecessor Navy band was about to play the Star-Spangled Banner aboard the USS Arizona on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Navy Band 22 found themselves in the midst of the surprise aerial attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese aircraft. As bombs dropped and sirens blared, the band members put down their instruments and manned their battle stations. They carried out their duties as ammunition handlers, carrying gunpowder to Turret No. 2. The fourth bomb to hit the Arizona penetrated the armor plating at Turret No. 2. The Arizona sank along with 1,177 sailors, including the entire 17 members of Navy Band No. 22.
The Navy Commodores pay tribute to their predecessors who died at Pearl Harbor.
The Navy Commodores have been playing for 54 years, since 1969. They represent the U.S. Navy at public concerts, national tours, events honoring U.S. veterans, and high-level protocol U.S. military and government occasions. They organize and teach jazz education classes and clinics.
The band is stationed at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC.
The author, Jim Zeigler, is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comment at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com
