Meeting an Icon of Jazz Drumming!

by Chief Musician Luis Hernandez
“On the road again; just can’t wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is making music with my friends…”

Willie Nelson’s sentiment in this well known song captures our excitement while on the road for another national tour. Okay, we’re not “a band of gypsies going down the highway”, but we are “The World’s Finest” spreading the Navy’s message and sharing a quintessentially American art form to thousands of wonderful folks between New Mexico and D.C. For me, it’s tour number 17, and the chance to play with a fantastic big band and travel around the country never gets old. Plus, we get to stumble upon cool little restaurants like “Health Camp Super Burgers & Shakes” in Waco, Texas. This place is certainly worthy of a visit from Guy Fieri from “Diners, Drive-ins, Dives”!

Drummers Butch Miles and
Chief John Parsons

Our performance on Oct. 30 in San Marcos, Texas. was sponsored by the Texas State University School of Music and was well attended by a very enthusiastic audience. Commodores music director Chief Musician Rob Holmes programmed a wonderfully swingin’ set infused with Basie, Woody Herman, and even Cannonball and Coltrane. You can imagine our excitement when we learned a few minutes before downbeat that none other than Butch Miles, the fabulous drummer with the Count Basie orchestra was in attendance! Our drummer Chief Musician John Parsons and the rest of the group were honored to meet him afterwards. He loved the Commodores!

With another concert in the can, we’re off to Austin and looking forward to making some more music “on the road again”.

About the Author

Chief Musician Luis Hernandez A native of Miami, Fla., Chief Musician Luis Hernandez began his musical career at the age of 14. He joined the Commodores as tenor saxophonist in 1996. Prior to the Navy Band, in 1987, he attended the New World School of The Arts, and enjoyed the opportunities to perform alongside jazz greats such as Ira Sullivan and Freddie Hubbard.