CLARKSVILLE, Mo — Amid the melancholy, there was a kind of soothing satisfaction that comes with the end of such a joyous tradition.

The world-renown jazz band Cornet Chop Suey played what was billed as its final performance at The Apple Shed in Clarksville on Sept. 21. The concert was sponsored by Raintree Arts Council, and brought to an end the band’s three decades of musical enchantment at the historic venue.

“It’s just been an incredible journey all these years,” said leader Brian Casserly. “It’s been the adventure of my life.”

Joining Big B onstage were trombonist Brett Stamps, keyboardist Rick Zelle, drummer Dick Maley, Tom Maloney on bass and Clarksville’s Jerry Epperson with saxophone and clarinet.

The band has played in 27 countries – at everything from outdoor festivals and elegant concert halls to cruise ships and jubilees. But no matter where the road led, the group each year found its way back to The Shed, a 1930s-era building along Highway 79 that once processed and shipped apples from local orchards.

“This is the greatest place to play,” Casserly told the audience of more than 100 people from Missouri, Illinois and elsewhere. “It just sounds so good.”

Tributes were made throughout the afternoon to Tom Tucker, the musician who formed Cornet with Casserly in 1996. The Navy veteran and retired car dealership owner passed in 2022 at age 86.

“We realized we had ability and the vision of what we wanted,” Casserly said. “Tom was a very important part of this band. I miss him.”

Relatives were in the audience, and Casserly repeated the light-hearted admonishment Tucker often had for bandmates: “Don’t nobody screw up.”

A surprise came when Maley turned his kit over to former Cornet percussionist John “Go Go” Gillick, whose jaw-dropping drum solo sparked raucous applause. Examples of his talent can be found on YouTube.

As with Tucker, Epperson had family in attendance and got loud cheers for his work on “Lullaby of the Leaves,” among other selections.

The set list was vintage Chop Suey, starting with “Down on Bourbon Street.” Other tunes included “Dark Eyes,” “Sleepy Time Down South,” “Come a Long Way From St. Louis,” “Pink Champagne” and “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens.”

After a little cajoling, Casserly got the seasoned audience to get up and participate on his original Cajun frolic “Stir the Pot.” He also paid tribute to his late father with the mellow standard “Midnight in Moscow.”

Stamps and Maloney did well-received solos. The show closed, as Cornet concerts over the years often did, with the Louis Armstrong classic “What a Wonderful World.”

Each member has an individual musical resume that’s longer than the slide on a trombone, and likely will continue to play the occasional solo show or fill in if another band asks.

Of course, there’s always the remote chance that Cornet Chop Suey could pop up on a marquee again. After all, it’s hard to resist the indescribable magic that happens when they’re together.

“This band has changed my life,” Casserly admitted. “It’s been great.”

Proceeds from ticket sales will be used for Raintree programs and ongoing upkeep at The Shed, which was donated to the not-for-profit group in 1979 by the Mallin family and continues to host concerts, stage productions, weddings, receptions, festivals and community events.

 

 

CUTLINES FOR PHOTOS:

Cornet Chop Suey performs at The Apple Shed in Clarksville on Sept. 21. From left are Rick Zelle, Tom Maloney, Dick Maley, Jerry Epperson, Brett Stamps and Brian Casserly.

 

Julie Wiegand and Tommy Griesedieck of Berger, Mo., dance to Cornet Chop Suey.