Air Force Academy jazz band making a stop in eastern Idaho for free concert
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IDAHO FALLS – The Falconaires, the U.S. Air Force Academy Jazz Band, is kicking off its 2024 tour this week with a stop in eastern Idaho.
The 20-piece band based in Colorado Springs will perform a free concert at the Rexburg Tabernacle on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Technical Sergeant Jaime Parker, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the band, tells EastIdahoNews.com they’re thrilled to represent more than 4,000 academy cadets and perform for the community.
“April is Jazz Appreciation Month so we’ll be playing some hits from Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller and some modern music on top of that,” Parker says. “We’re going to play some new music that was written for The Falconaires by our very own members.”
This year marks the academy’s 70th anniversary, which is another noteworthy milestone for this year’s tour.
“During the concert, we’ll be highlighting some of the achievements of the cadets over the years,” says Parker.
This might be the band’s first performance in Rexburg. Parker isn’t sure if they’ve played there before, but if they have, it’s been “quite some time.”
Rexburg is one of four concerts happening in Idaho this week. The other Idaho performances are in Hailey, Nampa and Twin Falls.
“We don’t charge money. It’s a service for the American taxpayers, but it does cost money to run a venue so we have to find someone who’s willing to host us. That’s how we ended up in Rexburg,” says Parker.
The U.S. Air Force Academy Band was formed in 1955 at Lowry Air Force Base near Denver, Colorado. It is one of two premier Air Force bands and its purpose, according to its website, is to help “develop outstanding leaders of character who will serve our country” and assist the academy in recruiting students.
Band members are enlisted members of the Air Force who are professional musicians. All of them auditioned to play for The Falconaires.
As far as Parker knows, none of them are from Idaho.
The Air Force Academy currently has 31 cadets from the Gem State, most of which are from the Boise area. Several cadets were recruited from Skyline High School in Idaho Falls.
The band is kicking off its tour with a performance in Laramie, Wyoming Monday night. It will perform in Rock Springs Tuesday night before heading to Rexburg.
Heidi Pyper, the music specialist for the Rexburg Cultural Arts Department, which is sponsoring the concert, is excited for the performance. Her husband, Brian, was a member of the Utah National Guard Army band for many years.
Military bands are a pleasure to watch, she says.
“They have a great feeling to them. It’s wonderful to see the unity as they’re in their uniforms. It’s really fun to watch this group in particular because they’re a really excellent jazz band,” Pyper says. “It’s a high-quality band with a longstanding tradition and it’s a great way to start looking ahead to summer and get patriotic.”
Pyper is encouraging people to attend.
Though the Rexburg concert is free, tickets are required to reserve a seat. To make a reservation, click here.