The Summer Jazz Journey series continues with an evening of deeply rooted, forward-moving jazz led by trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader DeShannon Higa, joined by Quadpod and featuring vocalist Rocky Brown.
Higa is one of Hawaiʻi’s most distinctive jazz voices—a trumpeter equally at home in hard-swinging post-bop, groove-based modern jazz, Latin colors, funk, and more exploratory electric textures. His career has taken him from Hawaiʻi to New York and beyond, with performances in major venues including Birdland, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Radio City Music Hall. As a composer and arranger, he has written for a wide range of ensembles and currently serves as an official composer and arranger for the historic Royal Hawaiian Band. His musical world is broad: sophisticated but never stiff, modern but still connected to melody, groove, and emotional clarity.
For this concert, Higa brings together his jazz quartet Quadpod, an ensemble built on conversation, risk, and trust—essentials in jazz. The group features Patrick “Paka” Whitehead on piano and keys, Mark Tanouye on bass, and Abe Lagrimas Jr. on drums. Together, they move through bebop, hard bop, post-bop, funk, Latin, soul, and original music with the kind of flexibility with the ease of seasoned and gifted musicians. It is alive, interactive, and built in the moment.
Drummer Abe Lagrimas Jr. brings a remarkable musical range to the bandstand. Known internationally as a drummer, vibraphonist, ʻukulele artist, composer, educator, and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner, Lagrimas has worked across jazz, Hawaiian music, world music, and contemporary creative settings. His drumming brings both fire and elegance—deep pocket when the music needs to sit, explosive lift when it needs to fly.
At the center of the evening is Rocky Brown, whose voice carries decades of experience across Broadway, jazz, folk, pop, R&B, and American song. A former member of the Broadway cast of Miss Saigon, Brown brings theatrical depth without overstatement, soul without gimmickry, and a storyteller’s instinct for lyric and phrasing. She has performed on major stages, recorded in both the Philippines and Hawaiʻi, and built a respected career not only as a performer but also as a voice teacher and mentor through her successful vocal studio. Whether singing a jazz standard, a folk-inflected ballad, a pop classic, or something more soulful and blues-drenched, Brown sings with warmth, nuance, and lived-in musical honesty.
This 80-minute concert will showcase the many sides of these artists: original compositions, reimagined standards, deep grooves, lyrical ballads, spontaneous improvisation, and the unmistakable sound of musicians who know how to listen. Expect a night that honors jazz tradition without treating it like a museum piece—music with history, heart, humor, swing, soul, and a few surprises.
Set in the beautiful acoustic space of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, DeShannon Higa + Quadpod featuring Rocky Brown offers an evening for serious jazz listeners, longtime fans, and anyone who simply loves great musicians making real music together.
Lei Day embodies the spirit of aloha, with each lei representing the heartfelt connection between giver and receiver. The creation of a lei—through the gathering of materials, preparation, and weaving—is infused with the mana, or spirit, of its maker. Join us for this concert, the culmination of a weekend of cultural events! The concert features Abe Lagrimas, Jr., on the ʻukulele and Shawn Conley on the bass.
Enter a sound world poised between light and shadows in this rich chamber music program featuring Antonín Dvořák’s Terzetto and Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34. Performed by an ensemble of distinguished local artists, including Helen Liu and Michelle Kim (violins), Alex Peña (viola), Sung Chan Chang (cello), and Jonathon Korth (piano), this concert explores the expressive breadth of the Romantic chamber tradition, from lyrical delicacy to dramatic intensity.
Get to know local favorites Leslie Goldman (soprano), Sarah Lambert Connelly (mezzo-soprano), and Sadee Xu (piano) as they share music that shaped their artistic journeys. Featuring solos and duets by Monteverdi, Mozart, Schubert, Massenet, Puccini, and more!
Join the LCH Choir as they sing their favorite hymns from every season of the church year. Audience participation encouraged as we raise our voices in song. The concert culminates in Johann Sebastian Bach’s wonderful setting of “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” Cantata No. 137, with orchestra and soloists.
Bringing Vivaldi’s Venice to life, Phil Gottling (recorder) and Julia Richter (flute) groove with the fire and flair of Vivaldi’s recorder concerti. Joined by Michelle Kim and Rachel Saul Schifino (violins), Youn Joo Lee (oboe), Tommy Morrison (bassoon), Sung Chan Chang (cello), and Ju-Hua Wei (harpsichord), they deliver the virtuosic and elegant music of the Red Priest.
Join us on the eve of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s 125th anniversary! The Royal Hawaiian Band will kick off our celebration, honoring Bandmaster Henry Berger (1871–1915), who was also the first organist and a charter member of LCH.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of live music at our upcoming jazz concert! On Sunday, August 17, don’t miss ʻUkulele Around the World, a global musical adventure led by Cynthia Lin on ʻukulele and vocals, Abe Lagrimas, Jr. on ʻukulele, and Shawn Conley on bass. This unique concert will showcase songs in a variety of languages, highlighting the ʻukulele’s versatility and charm across cultures.
Beckerath organs are renowned for their craftsmanship and historical significance. The Beckerath company, founded by Rudolf von Beckerath in Hamburg, Germany, has been creating exquisite pipe organs for over 75 years, influencing both the soundscape of sacred and secular spaces and the evolution of organ building. Hans Erbslöh and the Beckerath Organ Company continue to innovate while respecting traditional organ-building techniques. This future-oriented perspective might include the integration of new technologies, expanding the musical repertoire of their instruments, and maintaining their commitment to quality and artistic excellence. Whether through restoring historic organs or designing new ones, the Beckerath Organ Company remains a beacon of musical craftsmanship, resonating well into the future.