Alumni Jazz Band will gather for another performance this summer

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A night of great music, food, refreshments and camaraderie will be in store again this summer as the Charles City Alumni Jazz Band gets together for its fourth annual reunion and public concert.

Several dozen musicians have gathered each year since the inaugural event in 2016, joining to play jazz music and to honor beloved music educators from the school district.

Mitzi Gower DeGroote is one of the organizers of the reunion and the daughter of the late Bob Gower, director of bands for Charles City High School from 1961 to 1979 and head of the music department for nearly 20 years.

“We have many musicians coming to Charles City again this year. We have people coming from Florida, Texas, Missouri, etc. We also have the new superintendent of the schools playing this year,” she said, referring to Mike Fisher.

“We would love to have new people get involved,” DeGroote said.

The concert will be held at the Youth Enrichment Center at the Floyd County Fairgrounds from 7 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, July 6. A freewill donation to help support the annual event will be collected, and there will be a cash bar and food available.

The musicians will get together on Friday, July 5, beginning at 6 p.m. to practice, although the evening often turns into a night of sharing favorite memories and jam sessions. The public is invited out both the night of the rehearsal and for the concert.

DeGroote said anyone interested in being part of the group this year can contact her at 515-491-6172 or mdegroote24@gmail.com. Musicians are sent music and other information in advance of the event to also practice on their own.

“We are gonna set up on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. and could use some extra help,” she said. “We are also planning a golf outing on Saturday at 10 a.m. for anyone interested.”

The Alumni Jazz Band will again be under the direction of Gene Martin, longtime Charles City music teacher, band director and music department supporter.

Martin started in Charles City in 1961 after being recruited by Bob Gower to take over the orchestra program, grades 4-12, and to direct one of the junior high bands. He taught at Charles City from 1961 to 1997 and helped Gower start the jazz program.