Heritage in Motion: DeShannon Higa Live at ProArts Playhouse — AAPI Month Jazz in Kihei

Kihei, on the sunlit south shore of Maui, is where this evening of music arrives: ProArts Playhouse at 1280 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753. The venue’s compact black-box theater frames a close-up experience—spotlight on brass, piano, rhythm, and voice—while outside the Pacific slides toward sunset and the West Maui Mountains silhouette the coast. This is live jazz with an island pulse, staged in a place shaped by volcanic ridgelines and coral reef coastlines that have long informed Maui’s cultural life.

Heritage in Motion is a 90-minute set that reframes tradition as a present force. Featuring DeShannon Higa on trumpet and a tight quartet with Jeff Hellmer (piano), Dave Graber (bass), and Howie Rentzer (drums), the program moves from groove-driven openings into intimate, reflective passages and then back again, building toward a final arc of collective momentum. Expect arrangements that weave jazz, soul, funk, and subtle Pacific textures—originals and reimagined standards designed to probe identity and belonging through improvisation.

What makes this show distinct in Kihei is its rootedness: it’s not a generic concert trailer to tourists but a community-focused event produced by the Pono Project, a series that centers inclusion and Maui history. The presentation channels Hawai‘i’s layered cultural influences while honoring contemporary expression—music as living heritage rather than museum piece. The theater’s scale means you’ll hear breath, slide, and the brass’s metallic edge with clarity; you’ll see fingers on keys and the slight lean of a soloist mid-phrase.

For visitors, the performance pairs perfectly with an early evening on Kamaole Beach Park or a pre-show dinner of locally sourced seafood—Maui’s reef ecosystems and agricultural history are part of the context here, not background noise. The event also carries civic support: the Pono Project’s work is partially funded by the County of Maui’s Office of Economic Development, connecting arts to local resilience.

Practical notes: the show runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. Arrive early to secure seating, check ProArts Playhouse access at the meeting address, and treat the evening as both concert and cultural session—listen for storytelling in solo lines and for arrangements that translate Pacific themes into jazz language. Whether you’re a lifelong jazz listener or new to the genre, this is a pointed way to experience Maui’s creative current—music that honors source material while pushing it forward, performed in a small hall with big heart.