The Greater Des Moines Community Band brought jazz happiness to about 150 local lovers of fine arts Sunday afternoon in an hour-long performance at the Perry Performing Arts Center.
The band swung through a dozen jazz standards, including “The Entertainer,” “Moonlight Serenade,” “What a Wonderful World” and a romping Carole King medley, featuring “You’ve Got a Friend,” “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move” and “Jazzman.”
A high note came in the final number, when longtime Perry Instrumental Music Director Steve Cook conducted the band in a rendition of “College Boy,” a 1926 march by Henry Fillmore that is better known locally as the “Perry High School Fight Song.” Greater Des Moines Community Band Director Christa Miller and Associate Director Carl Johnson then joined Cook at the podium for the final bows.
Among the more than 100 players in the Greater Des Moines Community Band were two players from Perry, tubist Kari Allen of Perry, who has been with the band about 10 years, and bassoonist Dawn Parker, a longtime regular in the Perry Community Band and a six-year member of the Des Moines group.
Director Miller thanked the audience and Perry Fine Arts for hosting the show, and she gave special thanks to Perry Fine Arts President Cathy Clark for promoting the shows in advance.
“We don’t even get this kind of publicity in Des Moines,” Miller said, “so thank you, Cathy, for making us feel so welcome in Perry.”
Clark also thanked the audience for its attendance and encouraged them to attend the next concert in the Perry Fine Arts series on Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m., when Jake Doty and the Swensongs perform at the PAC.
