USAO ShowBand joined by guitar legend for concert

Guitar virtuoso and legendary recording artist Clint Strong is slated to join the USAO ShowBand on Friday night for a concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Te Ata Memorial Auditorium.

Strong is considered by many to be one of the best of a new generation of jazz guitarists. He has performed and recorded with jazz and country artists including Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Red Garland and fellow guitarists like Howard Roberts, Herb Ellis and Tal Farlow.

The ShowBand will be performing a diverse collection of songs including material made popular by artists like Mariah Carey, Johnny Cash, Bob Wills, George Strait and others.

The USAO ShowBand is under the direction of Joe Settlemires. He is a music industry veteran with over 50 years experience who has supported legends like Bob Hope, Loretta Lynn and many others.

Settlemires was twice nominated for a Grammy for his Sugarfoot Rag album, originally released in 2008.

The USAO ShowBand is no stranger to recording either. Under Settlemires’ direction, they have released two albums worth of material—Nashville, Music City in 2010 and Jazz Standards 101 in 2007.

"The ShowBand is dedicated to providing quality entertainment," said Donna Settlemires, assistant director of the ShowBand. "We perform jazz, pop and country, finding a variety of sounds appealing to a broad audience."

The concert is free and open to the public.