In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band’s jazz orchestra will perform a Gala concert featuring music from the Great American Songbook alongside celebrated multi-platinum recording artist and Tony Award winner Michael Feinstein. As the nation’s premiere expert in the history, interpretation and performance of the Great American Songbook, Feinstein and Marine Band Director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin worked hand in hand to curate a program honoring America’s history with standards that are now part of the American soundtrack and national identity.

The concert will take place at 4 p.m., Sunday, April 27 at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland. Although the concert is currently sold out, free tickets are valid until 3:45 p.m., at which time all tickets become null and void and any remaining seats will be filled with patrons in the stand-by queue.  

According to The Great American Songbook Foundation, “the Great American Songbook is the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century that have stood the test of time in their life and legacy. Often referred to as ‘American Standards,’ the songs published during the Golden Age of this genre include those popular and enduring tunes from the 1920s to the 1960s that were created for Broadway theatre, musical theatre and Hollywood musical film.” 

“The Great American Songbook is one of America’s most impactful musical exports in our 250-year history, so to have an opportunity to have the nation’s premiere expert on the Great American Songbook in knowledge and history but also interpretation and performance collaborate with America’s oldest continuously active musical ensemble is a match made in Heaven,” Nowlin said. “There are a zillion ways this concert could’ve been programmed—by artist, by tunes, as a history lesson—and we found a common thread that does all of those things while still providing an entertaining experience for the audience.” 

Feinstein, a world-renowned music archivist, has spent over four decades preserving and celebrating the Great American Songbook. He has dedicated his life to bringing the music of the 20th century’s most beloved composers and lyricists to new audiences around the world. His career began as a young protégé to the legendary lyricist Ira Gershwin, so it is fitting that the concert begins with the iconic “Strike up the Band” by George and Ira Gershwin. The program also includes the Gershwins’ “Embraceable You,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Shall We Dance” and “I Got Rhythm.” 

Nowlin was impacted by these songs at an early age. “My grandparents listened to this music all the time,” he explained. “I was always listening to the radio or 8-tracks, so those sounds were ingrained in me as a young boy. Musicals, swing, Big Band era, Tony Bennett of course, the Frank Sinatra catalog—we had all of those records, and these songs became very familiar to me.” 

The audience will love the familiar sounds by composers Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and so many others. The program will also include George M. Cohan’s rallying war cries “Over There” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag”—the Great American Songbook’s connection with wartime history. 

“During those years, people were continents apart never knowing if they were going to see each other again but listening to the same music by the same artists,” Nowlin said. “They could share these things in their letters. Songs were written with that emotion and distance in mind, so I feel the Marine Band has a duty to bring that to the public.” 

“All of these songs became part of our national identity, part of the American soundtrack,” Nowlin said. “And we’ve got incredible musicians who will bring it to life. It’s going to be an exciting program!” 

Marine Band Historian Staff Sgt. Philip Espe called the Great American Songbook “a nostalgic window into the past and a dynamic reflection of the present.”  

“The music outgrew its original context and became a rich scaffold for jazz improvisation and reinterpretation by artists in different genres,” Espe said. “The beauty of the Songbook lies in its ability to create a dialogue across time and space. It offers a unique opportunity for artists and audiences to connect with iconic performances of the past while creating new versions that speak to the current moment. This enduring quality is why the Great American Songbook continues to be a relevant and cherished part of our musical heritage—something the United States Marine Band will continue to promote and preserve.” 

Complete Program