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Bassist Tech. Sgt. Sam Kennedy of the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble finds his groove during a song while playing at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

Bassist Tech. Sgt. Sam Kennedy of the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble finds his groove during a song while playing at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Bassist Tech. Sgt. Sam Kennedy of the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble finds his groove during a song while playing at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

Bassist Tech. Sgt. Sam Kennedy of the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble finds his groove during a song while playing at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Staff Sgt. Nathan Heald of the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble solos on sax during the band's set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

Staff Sgt. Nathan Heald of the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble solos on sax during the band's set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble entertains listeners during their set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

The USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble entertains listeners during their set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The crowd claps to the rhythm during a performance by the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

The crowd claps to the rhythm during a performance by the USAFE Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Trombonist/vocalist Staff Sgt. Ben Huseby of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble sings a tune during the band's set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

Trombonist/vocalist Staff Sgt. Ben Huseby of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band's Wings of Dixie ensemble sings a tune during the band's set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The music appears to be a little loud for this youngster at Swinging Lautern in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sep. 4, 2015, but it didn't keep him from moving with the beat.

The music appears to be a little loud for this youngster at Swinging Lautern in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sep. 4, 2015, but it didn't keep him from moving with the beat. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The tuba player for Brass to Go, a band made up of music students from Mannheim, Germany, keeps the beat during their set at the Swinging Lautern jazz festival in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday Sept. 4, 2015.

The tuba player for Brass to Go, a band made up of music students from Mannheim, Germany, keeps the beat during their set at the Swinging Lautern jazz festival in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The Jazz Band Ball Orchestra from Cracow, Poland, plays in a Kaiserslautern, Germany, pedestrian zone during the Swinging Lautern jazz festival Friday Sept. 4, 2015.

The Jazz Band Ball Orchestra from Cracow, Poland, plays in a Kaiserslautern, Germany, pedestrian zone during the Swinging Lautern jazz festival Friday Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

The Top Dog Brass Band entertains listeners during their set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.

The Top Dog Brass Band entertains listeners during their set at Swinging Lautern in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

A listener claps to the music during the annual Swinging Lautern jazz festival in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday Sept. 4, 2015. The souvenir hat costs five euros.

A listener claps to the music during the annual Swinging Lautern jazz festival in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany, Friday Sept. 4, 2015. The souvenir hat costs five euros. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

There was finger-snapping, foot-stomping and a lot of clapping as the sound of jazz filled the air in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on Friday for the city’s annual Swinging Lautern festival.

The three-day event, which ends Saturday night, has more than two dozen jazz bands performing on the downtown squares and streets, including two from the United States Air Forces in Europe.

The USAFE Band’s Wings of Dixie ensemble entertained listeners in the shadow of the Stiftskirche Friday with their blend of Dixieland jazz and modern music.

On Saturday The Ambassadors, a twelve member jazz ensemble, will be onstage at Schillerplatz at 3 p.m.

The music lasts until about 11 p.m. Saturday. Stands sell food and drink and best of all, the concerts are free.

abrams.mike@stripes.com

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