TEMPLE, Texas — Temple High School’s Temple Highlighters jazz band has developed a number of traditions in its more than 70 years of existence and the group will be continuing one of its newer traditions next month with the chance to perform live in a professional jazz club.
For the third straight year, The Highlighters will play in a professional jazz club with a concert at the Parker Jazz Club in Austin on April 26th at 6:00 p.m. The Highlighters performance will be part of the club’s series that highlights area high school jazz bands and is sponsored by the Texas Jazz Society. The performance is open to the public and all of the proceeds from ticket sales will go back to the Highlighters to help fund additional events for the band. That money will help fund future trips or help pay for high-level clinicians to come in and work with the program’s musicians. In addition to the financial benefit to the Highlighters, the group’s director is using the experience to showcase the band’s talents in a different venue and use the opportunity as a learning experience in several ways.
“It is just a real-world jazz experience, it is a pro setting with a professional sound guy, and they get to perform in the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’,” Temple Highlighters Director Marcos Duran said. “We are getting a chance to really showcase what Temple has to offer. This is something most high school kids never get a chance to do, and we are always looking for ways to give them that unique opportunity. They are playing pro-line charts, and we talk up the history of the composer and we really get to impact the kids with the historical side, as well.”
The Highlighters are planning to perform their typical jazz festival setlist, featuring the songs “Kansas City Shout,” “Sunset Glow,” “Flamingo,” and “Shake A Lady.” The band will also play a second set featuring the music of trumpeter and band leader Thad Jones. That set will include original compositions Jones recorded with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.
Senior Deonte’ Nickson, who plays trombone for the Highlighters, will be making his second appearance at Parker Jazz Club. He would like to go into music education for a career while continuing to perform and he says the chance to play in a professional setting will help prepare him for the opportunities that can follow.
“You get to experience a real-life jazz club and the vibe there is just very different,” Nickson said. “We get to go play in front of people who pay to see us, so it gives those who want to do this for a living that actual experience of what it feels like to do that. This is a really great program, and with the Highlighters we get so many cool opportunities to play and have fun.”
Paxton Slay is a freshman saxophone player who will be playing Parker Jazz Club for the first time, in fact, it will be one of his first performances with the Highlighters. Slay’s older brother is a former member of the Highlighters, so for Paxton, playing one of his first performances with the ensemble in a professional jazz club is a way to continue a family tradition, not just a Highlighter tradition.
“I am just really looking forward to the experience, my brother used to play in the Highlighters, and this just seems like an awesome opportunity,” Slay added. “I would really like to play in a big band one day and have the chance to travel and play music. There are a lot of big-name musicians in Austin, so I am just really excited to have this experience.”
Reserved tickets to the Highlighters performance are now available and start at $25 per person. Tickets may be purchased through the Parker Jazz Club website at: Shows - Parker Jazz Club (turntabletickets.com). The club also provides free live streams of the performances through its website.
Temple High School is home to the oldest high school jazz curriculum in the state of Texas. Since 1952, jazz education has been included in the Temple ISD fine arts curriculum with dedicated class periods at the high school and middle school levels. The Temple Highlighters have received local, state, and national recognitions during their history. The Ensemble has received multiple honors from the National Jazz Honors project, was the Featured Ensemble at the 2022 Charles Mingus Festival, and was the National Winner of the 2022 Perform with Mintzer Competition sponsored by Eastman Winds.