NIGHT FLIGHT

On Sunday afternoon, the Night Flight Jazz Ensemble concert was held at the Washington Middle School, sponsored by the Fayette Area Community Concert Association.

There were five saxophone players, four trumpet players, four trombone players, one drummer, one guitarist, and one singer. Nine of the aforementioned musicians had solo parts during their repertoire of selections. My personal favorite was their arrangement from West Side Story, since I've seen the movie several times.


The music took us from toe-tapping, quick-stepping timing to slower love songs. Vocalist TSgt Felita Rowe sang the popular Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead, and I'm Beginning To See The Light to Skylark.


The ensemble was lead by MSgt Jay Halpin (on trumpet), who also mentioned that he was retiring from the Air Force later this year. The jazz group entertained for one hour and 25 minutes, ending with a standing ovation from the crowd.

Night Flight is a part of the United States Air Force Band of Flight from Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Night Flight is the largest ensemble from within the Concert Band. This twenty-piece jazz ensemble combines the best in traditional and contemporary big band jazz. Night Flight performs for official military ceremonies and social functions, and for community concerts and festivals throughout the Midwest. They have performed at national and international festivals and conferences. Outstanding charts written and arranged by Night Flight personnel and the world's leading jazz composers provide a framework for their exciting performances.

The Fayette Area Community Concert Association's next concert will be the Mark Flugge Quintet scheduled for Sunday, May 1, at 3pm. The Association has lowered their membership for this next season, due to economic concerns. They have also added Mt. Vernon (Knox County), The Memorial Theater, to their reciprocal sites, along with Lancaster and Marysville.

The upcoming concerts include The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band Tribute, Billy Dean, Legacy of Floyd Cramer, and The Four Aces. For more information on membership or tickets to future concerts, contact the Association at P. O. Box 531, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160.