Cave Spring High School and Cave Spring Middle School bands held their annual Jazz Café fundraiser on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, at St. John Lutheran Church from 7 to 9 p.m.

Attendees enjoyed desserts donated by local restaurants and coffee provided by Star City Coffee House, and band members from the high and middle schools acted as waitstaff for the evening–when they weren’t performing, that is. The evening also featured a silent auction, emcee John Carlin and–of course–live jazz.

The seventh grade jazz ensemble, directed by Melinda Sarver, kicked off the evening with a selection of songs, followed by the eighth grade jazz ensemble and capped off by the high school jazz band, both directed by Brian Quakenbush. After the students showed off their skills, jazz trombonist Rick Simerly took over.

“It sounds so good. I wanted to stay through the sound check,” said Quakenbush to the crowd just before Simerly took the stage. “Then I remembered I had to go home and change!”

This is the sixth year of the Jazz Café, which acts as a fundraiser for the Cave Spring Middle and High School band programs.