Charles City school jazz concert moves inside as rain threatens

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Jazz on the River turned into jazz in the middle school Saturday afternoon as threatening weather moved the final Charles City school instrumental jazz concert of the year indoors.

Band Director Jacob Gassman said it was too bad the event couldn’t be held in the amphitheater along the Cedar River, but the commons area of the middle school made an intimate space for music that he hoped they could use more often.

“It was really great to have enough interest this year to field a second jazz band again at the high school,” he said. “Between the two high school groups, there wasn’t room in the schedule to have a full time middle school jazz band as well. So for this last concert, I invited middle school students that were interested to join us.”

That made the range of musicians seventh grade through seniors, he said.

The jazz band played three tunes featuring soloists Moise Muamba and Carter Soifer on baritone saxophone, Kayla Streich and Bennett Hansen on trumpet, and Nyssa Salinas and Jonah DeVore on trombone.

The Jazz Ensemble finished the concert with four songs featuring soloists Anders Haglund, filling in on piano; Kaity Heckers on tenor saxophone; Blake Hoeft and Polina Philippova on alto saxophone; Anton Dittmer and Hayden Heyer on trumpet; and Adrian Ibarra, Blake Dean and Jacob Jones on trombone.

Gassman also recognized the seniors among the group: Sydney Otto, daughter of Jeff and Lori Otto; Anders Haglund, son of Karl and Jenna Haglund; Patina Philippova, daughter of Inna and Matthew Wilkins; and Christopher Tull, son of Janet Tull.