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AF trumpeter hits the right humor notes

  • Published
  • By Lynda Valentine
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affiars
Portmouth, Va. --  Having Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Burns emcee a concert for The U.S. Air Force Band is like having Billy Crystal emcee the Oscars. You never know what you're going to get, but you know it will be entertaining.

Burns is a trumpet player with the Airmen of Note -- the Air Force's premier jazz ensemble. His on-stage monologues give the members of "The Note" a chance to catch their breath between sets because the horns, winds, drummer, strings and piano player give the "all-in" performance one comes to expect from service members.

The Note is currently on a 20-day, 18-concert tour throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The ensemble plays 14 songs during a two-hour set.

The songs bring the crowds to their feet while Burns keeps them rolling in the aisles. He mixes his quick wit with an ongoing narrative about the history of the USAF Band, the musical arrangements being performed and the history of Jazz, which he calls "the only unique American art form."

Throughout The Note's April 12 concert at Willett Hall in Portmouth, Va., Burns' peppered his monologue with personal facts about the band members that kept the crowd in stitches.

When introducing the trombone section he noted that their home states were Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. "Or the 'Tornado Alley Trombones' as we like to call them," he said while the crowd laughed.

Later in the show Burns pointed to the brass section and said: "You may notice that one of these sergeants is not like the others," as Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Armstrong, a member of the U.S. Army Field Band, stood. Armstrong joined The Note on tour as a last-minute replacement for an Air Force trumpeter who had a family emergency.

Burns keeps the show moving, but the entire Airmen of Note concert is an exciting evening of music for the entire family. For information about where The Note are playing their next free concert, or to download their songs, visit the Band's website at http://www.usafband.af.mil.