STAFF REPORT
DRIPPING SPRINGS – Musician 1st Class David Kapral is heading 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 on their 2022 national tour. Audiences can hear Kapral with the Commodores on the following dates:
• Nov. 2, Parker Jazz Club, 117 W. Fourth St., at 7 p.m.
• Nov. 3, Dripping Springs High School, 940 US-290, at 6:30 p.m.
• Nov. 4, Huston-Tillotson University King-Seabrook Chapel, 900 Chicon St., at 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 5, Southwest Legacy High School, 4495 SW Verano Parkway, at 7:30 p.m.
Kapral graduated from Dripping Springs High School in 2014 before going on to study 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 U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C., after completing Navy basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois.
As part of the Commodores 2022 national tour, this concert is a family-friendly event, connecting members of the community to their Navy. The performance will include an eclectic mix of traditional big band music, exciting jazz vocal arrangements and fresh new instrumental music written specifically for the Commodores of today.
As the Navy's premier jazz ensemble, the Commodores have been performing the very best of big-band jazz for the Navy and the nation for 50 years. Formed in 1969, this 18-member group continues the jazz big band legacy with some of the finest musicians in the world. The Commodores' mission includes public concerts, national concert tours, ceremonial support in honoring our veterans, jazz education classes and clinics, and protocol performances for high-level military and civilian government officials.
"For many years, Navy bands have been where it matters, when it matters, just like the rest of our Navy. Today, we have Sailors performing around the world, improving relations with our allies abroad as well as telling the Navy story here at home," said Captain Kenneth Collins, U.S. Navy Band commanding officer.
All U.S. Navy Band performances are free and open to the public, though some concerts may require ticket reservations. For the most up-to-date ticket information, visit the Navy Band’s website at www.navyband.navy.mil.
