STAFF REPORT
DRIP SPRINGS – Musician 1st Class David Kapral returns home to Dripping Springs as a member of the Navy’s premier jazz band.
The United States Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble will perform four concerts in the Austin area during their 2022 nationwide tour. Audiences can hear Kapral with the Commodores on the following dates:
• November 2, Parker Jazz Club, 117 W. Fourth St., 7 p.m.
• November 3, Dripping Springs High School, 940 US-290, 6:30 p.m.
• Nov. 4, Huston-Tillotson University King-Seabrook Chapel, 900 Chicon St., at 7:30 p.m.
• November 5, Southwest Legacy High School, 4495 SW Verano Parkway, 7:30 p.m.
Kapral graduated from Dripping Springs High School in 2014 before studying jazz performance at the University of Texas at Austin. In his third year, a rare opening for trombone with the Commodores was announced, and after a highly competitive audition process, Kapral was selected for the job. In 2018, he reported to the US Navy Band in Washington, D.C. after completing Basic Navy Training in Great Lakes, Illinois.
As part of the 2022 Commodores National Tour, this concert is a family event, connecting members of the community to their Navy. The performance will feature an eclectic mix of traditional big band music, exciting jazz vocal arrangements and fresh new instrumental music written specifically for today’s Commodores.
As the Navy’s premier jazz ensemble, the Commodores have been performing the best of big band jazz for the Navy and the nation for 50 years. Formed in 1969, this 18-member group carries on the legacy of the jazz big band with some of the best musicians in the world. The Commodores’ mission includes public concerts, national concert tours, ceremonial support in honor of our veterans, jazz education classes and clinics, and ceremonial performances for senior military and civilian officials.
“For many years, the bands of the Navy have been where it counts, when it counts, just like the rest of our Navy. Today we have Sailors performing around the world, enhancing relationships with our allies overseas and telling the Navy’s story here at home,” said Captain Kenneth Collins, Commanding Officer of the Navy. US Navy Band.
All US Navy Band performances are free and open to the public, although some concerts may require ticket reservations. For the most up-to-date ticket information, visit the Navy Band website at www.navyband.navy.mil.
