A Good Day for Pottstown in Boyertown

Photo brazenly stolen from Lisa Heverly's Facebook post

The Pottstown Middle School Jazz Band shows its spirit (and its mad Jazz Band Skills) in Boyertown.

Boyertown Area Senior High School held its 10th annual Jazz'n in B'town festival; Saturday and the place was hoppin'.

And it seems that Pottstown walked away with a whole lot of hardware.

According to the program, five middle school and junior high school jazz bands performed, as well as 11 high school jazz bands and the Sunnybrook Ballroom dance band.

However, the program apparently left out the Pottstown Middle School Jazz Band which took revenge for the slight by kicking ass and taking names, or rather medals.

According to a Facebook post by one of the parents, Pottstown middle schoolers, led by the mighty Ben Hayes, received the ONLY superior rating out of all the younger bands and took "all section awards and two individual awards."

According to the post on the "Friends of Pottstown Middle School" Facebook page, the best sax solo went to Shane Duncan and the best overall solo to Will Minnick.

Pottstown Tenor saxophonist Marley Bryan
with his soloist award.

London Aquino won the best saxophone solo Friday night at the Methacton Jazz Festival and the band received a "Superior" rating there as well.

Meanwhile, back in Boyertown, at the high school level, Pottstown received an "Outstanding" rating and tenor saxophonist Marley Bryan added to his list of musical accomplishments by winning an award for his solo performance.

The accomplishments at both levels is all the more remarkable given the strict nature of the judging.

The judges were Michael Cemprola, Chuck Dressler and Larry Marshall.

Of the nine high school bands competing for ratings, only two superiors were given out and given that last night's performances were, in this humble music-lover's opinion, all top notch, that is some tough judging.

All the better I say. Pottstown proved, once again, it can swing with the best of them.

Here are the ratings for the high school bands:

• Easton -- Outstanding
• Saucon Valley -- Excellent
• Reading -- Outstanding
• North Penn Columbia -- Outstanding
• Oley -- Outstanding
• Joes Jazz Cafe -- Outstanding
• North Penn Navy Band -- Superior (They WERE amazing)
• Pottstown -- Outstanding
• Quakertown -- Superior

The Boyertown Area Senior High School also performed its three-song set, but as the hosts, was not rated.

Representatives from the nine high school jazz bands being judged, line up on the Boyertown Area Senior High School stage to find out who won what awards.

Here are the section awards:

• Best Rhythm Section: North Penn High School Navy Band
• Best Trumpet Section: North Penn High School Navy Band
• Best Trombone Section: Quakertown Community High School Jazz Ensemble
• Best Saxophone Section: Easton High School

And now for the fun part. Below you will find not only Tweets and fuzzy photos from last night's even (at least the high school parts, but full performance videos of Pottstown and Boyertown.

Also, as an added treat and not with some technical issues which mean I am probably sleeping while you're reading this, five, count 'em, FIVE performances by the Sunnybrook Ballroom Dance Band.

Many of those players are former band directors from area high schools and at least one, Boyertown Music Director Brian Langdon, is a current band director.