The Pella jazz bands enjoyed a weekend of performance and success at one of Iowa’s largest high school jazz festivals. Pella Jazz I placed 1st in Class 3A and Pella Jazz II placed 1st in the Class 3A prep division at the 49th annual Hoover Jazz Festival in Des Moines Saturday. Many of the state’s premiere jazz bands performed at the competition. The Hoover Jazz Festival performances kick off a busy race to the finish line for Pella Jazz I — the group will perform at Tamory Hall with Oskaloosa and Winterset on Monday, March 30th at 7 p.m., and follow that up with a performance in between sets of the Des Moines Big Band at Noce in Des Moines on Wednesday, April 1st, also at 7 p.m. These events all lead up to the Iowa Jazz Championships in Ames on Tuesday, April 7th, where Pella Jazz I has won 18 state championships in 41 years and are the defending title holders in Class 3A.