Charles City High School presents annual jazz instrumental finale

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City High School Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble finished their public performance season on Saturday with their annual Jazz on the River concert, but for the second year it was Jazz not on the River.

Last year’s performance was moved indoors to the Middle School because of threatening weather. This year the amphitheater where the concert was scheduled was itself partly underwater because of recent rains swelling the Cedar River.

The Jazz Band played three numbers and the Jazz Ensemble played six, with each piece featuring a range of soloists including Adrian Ibarra, Anton Dittmer, Avery Schoeck, Bennett Hansen, Blake Dean, Blake Hoeft, Carter Soifer, Elliot Linde, Emma Read, Jacob Jones, Kaity Heckers, Kayla Streich, Mikey Bauer, Nick Williams and Nyssa Salinas.

Band Director Jacob Gassman said it had been “an absolute blast” working with the musicians over the year, and noting how they had improved with every performance.

“These guys are playing really, really wonderfully,” he said.

For the Jazz Ensemble, the seniors in the group pick their pieces for their final performance from all the music they have performed in public through their careers in the school jazz program.

“It’s kind of their chance to play some of their greatest hits one more time – some of their favorites,” Gassman said.

The pieces selected by the Jazz Ensemble seniors were “Firestar,” “Moanin’,” “Tastes Like Chicken,” Tour de Force,” Flight of the Foo Birds” and “Odyssey.”

Gassman also singled out the graduating jazz program seniors, Anton Dittmer, Hayden Haier, Adrian Ibarra, Emily Jones, Taylor Myhre and Avery Schoeck, saying that every one of them either had older siblings who had been through the school’s music program or younger siblings who were still in it.

“That is a testament not only to them but also to all of the senior families that we have out there today. That’s a commitment to what we do in the arts,” Gassman said. “For all of our families, thank you very much for all the time and all the hours and everything that you do to support your children. Because I can’t do what I do without that. So I appreciate all of you.”

He also mentioned that the previous weekend all of the high school music groups went to the State Large Group Festival in Decorah, where the String Orchestra, Concert Band, Concert Choir and Chamber Choir all got Division I ratings, and the Comet Chorus got Division II.

“It was a fantastic night,” Gassman said.