U.S. Pacific Fleet Jazz Ensemble’s visit to Samoa brings its music to the people

By Asi Andrew Fa'asau andrew@samoanews.com Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The U.S. Pacific Fleet Jazz Ensemble arrived in Samoa, the home of jazz legend Mavis Rivers, last Thursday for a week of music and cultural exchange. Their visit, welcomed by the U.S. Embassy in Apia, carries a symbolic weight: a return of American jazz musicians to the islands that shaped one of the genre’s most beloved Pacific voices. For many Samoans, the arrival of the ensemble is more than a diplomatic event— it is a tribute to the woman who brought Samoan storytelling into the heart of American jazz. Mavis Rivers, born in Apia in 1929, rose from island stages to Capitol Records, became the first Samoan to earn a Grammy nomination, and left a legacy that still echoes across the Pacific. Her phrasing, warmth, and unmistakable Samoan musicality helped define an era. Frank Sinatra, who signed her to his Reprise Records label, reportedly described her as having the “purest voice in jazz” and frequently compared her skill to that of Ella Fitzgerald. The ensemble’s visit, part of the United States’ Freedom250 celebrations, honors that lineage by bringing jazz back to the place where Rivers’ journey began. Throughout the week, the musicians are taking jazz beyond the concert hall and into the community — mirroring the way Rivers herself learned music in village gatherings and family bands. The ensemble is visiting schools, meeting with U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers, and performing in villages such as Manunu, Mulifanua, and Falelatai. They also became the first pop‐up jazz band to perform at the new Savalalo Market, filling the open-air stalls with the kind of improvisational energy Rivers once carried to American stages. The group will join community jazz events at the Tiapapata Arts Centre, all free and open to the public, celebrating Samoa’s own contributions to the global jazz tradition. These performances invite audiences to reflect on the islands’ musical history—from the Apia Jazz Band of the 1920s to Rivers’ rise as one of the Pacific’s most celebrated jazz vocalists. Based in Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i, the four‐piece ensemble—Mark A. Lame (bass), Owen T. Sczerba (saxophone), Jonah A. David (drums) and Dylan Z. Schirato (guitar) bring a sound shaped by both military discipline and artistic freedom. Their performances highlight jazz as a living language of connection, improvisation, and cultural exchange. The U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, which the ensemble represents, has served the region for more than 75 years. Its musicians are active‐duty service members who perform hundreds of engagements annually, using music as a bridge between communities across the Pacific. By centering their visit on outreach, heritage, and shared musical history, the ensemble’s time in Samoa highlights the United States’ commitment to cultural diplomacy. More importantly, it honors the legacy of Mavis Rivers — whose voice carried Samoa into the world of American jazz — and celebrates the enduring ties between the islands and the art form she helped shape. Section: Local News Tags: The U.S. Pacific Fleet Jazz Ensemble
2026-05-08 17:02:18