"Satchmo" Heim Entertains Iowa Crowd!   The band has a web site http://home.mchsi.com/~moeband/

On an old river boat stage near the banks of the Cedar River, an estimated 3000 person "Sturgis Falls" fair crowd stands and applauds the music of "Big Moe Heim" and his Saints Dixie Land Band. John Heim formerly of Dawson, Nebraska has been with the 7-member group since 1986, playing piano, electric bass, and singing. The musical group was the host band for the Cedar Basin Jazz Festival and was featured in concerts through out the weekend celebration. The seven members, all from eastern Iowa; rocked the boat playing clarinet, trombone, trumpet/cornet, guitar/banjo, drum and piano. John is a 1973 graduate of Humboldt High School, received his BS in Music Education from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, and his masters in 1997 from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. He has taught music in Allison-Bristow Community Schools and Glidden-Ralston Schools and is currently teaching general music at all grade levels in the Marion Independent School District, in Iowa. "Moe" is supported by his wife Jackie of 26 years and as John mused, "should be eligible for sainthood." Son, Jeffrey graduated this spring and plans to attend Northern Iowa University in Cedar Falls, Iowa and major in music concentrating on the saxophone. Daughter, Jodee will be a senior at Linn-Marr Community High School next term and following graduation plans to attend the University of Iowa in Iowa City in medicine/nursing. The band has a web site http://home.mchsi.com/~moeband/. The fun of playing Dixie land music takes the band up and down the Cedar Valley entertaining as often as the members can find time. The band was recently featured in concert at the Iowa State Band Masters Convention in Des Moines this spring. The 4-beat and 2-beat jazz music is authentic and the charts are classic. John finds time aside from his teaching responsibilities to do live radio. He is the disc jockey for the "Da Friday Blues" from 7-10pm every Friday night and the "Saturday Jazz" from noon -4:30pm every Saturday for radio KCCK. The program can be heard on the Internet by accessing (www.kcck.org). The Heim family are members of the Presbyterian Church of Marion, Iowa where John is the substitute choir director and plays bass for the Contemporary Worship Service. Members of the family have enjoyed church mission trips to Crow Indian Reservation in Grass Creek, Mt, and Springfield, Missouri. John smiles and states, "All the things I do are hobbies and I love to go out in my vintage 26' Argosy trailer and camp and try to keep up with the lawn and garden." "Moe" Heim lives with the philosophy, " Don't do anything you don't love to do…and sleep anywhere, digest anything." Listening to an hour of some of the best Dixie Land music in the world, I wipe my perspiring forehead with my white hanky, sit back in my lawn chair for the encore and say to myself…."Oh Yeaaaaah!" Written by Bob Williamson

last updated July 20, 2003