Marine Corps All Star Jazz Band Raises the Roof at Central High School

When the general public pictures a United States Marine, they imagine the stoic faces from recruitment commercials. Rarely does the public get to witness smiling, dancing and even singing marines.

That’s why the Marine Corps All-Star Jazz Band jazzing up Central High School was a rare treat for San Angelo.

The brass gleamed under the lights in the Sousa Concert Hall and the marines grooved to the pieces they played, their smiles showing how much they appreciated each other’s musical abilities.

The group is composed of the best members from the 10 marine bands throughout the world, including the President’s personal band.

“These are some of the best musicians out there,” said Chief Warrant Officer Two Bryan Sherlock, director of the New Orleans band and member of the All Star Band.

Sherlock explained that the group forms and tours for two weeks after a two-day rehearsal. The tour takes place in a small region, such as the Chicago area in recent times, and this year, they are visiting Texas.

“We’re traveling all throughout Texas with a culmination at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference,” said Sherlock. “The point is to get to small communities, to get to big communities, get to everyone, if we haven’t gotten there in the past the better.”

Staff Sargent Ken Ebo, trombone player and vocalist, mentioned during the performance that he was looking forward to touring in Texas because it’s ‘sunny and warm,’ only to be disappointed by the state being a little frosty.

However, that made for the perfect segue into a piece called “A Foggy Day,” in which Ebo sang with accompaniment from the band, to which the audience enthusiastically clapped, as they did to every song and solo.

The cheers were deafening once the concert was over and many of the audience members stayed behind to shake the hands of the musically inclined marines and thank them for both their music and their service to their country.

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