FOR RELEASE:  May 24, 2025

Jazz Maui presents Sunset Jazz on Sunday, June 1, 2025 from 5-7pm at the Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate Factory, 78 Ulupono Street in Lahaina, spotlighting Hawaii Jazz featuring saxophonist Dr. Joie Yasha, pianist Jeff Hellmer, guitarist Prem Brosio, and drummer Howie Rentzer. Seating is limited and often sold out so advance ticket purchase is required at www.JazzMaui.org or https://mauichocolate.com/pages/sunset-jazz.

Dr. Joie Taylor is a passionate musician and a talented instrumentalist. Based on Maui, she has a storied history of live performances, musical arrangements, and recording sessions. With a professional career in Atlanta, GA, Ithaca, NY, India, and Maui she has toured the US and Europe.  As a member of the Clark Atlanta University Jazz Orchestra, she toured Europe and played the following jazz festivals in the year 2000: The Hague, Montreux, Jazz Vienne, Paris, Brussels, Rome and Florence.  In addition, as an orchestra member, she was in concert with Nancy Wilson, Gladys Night, Lou Rawls, Lilo Shifffron, and James Moody. Since then as an independent musician she has been in concert with Grammy winning and nominated artists including Mauisiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective (album Passages: The Water Brought Us), Kebbi Williams, John Cruz, Samite, Phillip Harper, Roy Ayers, B.B. King and in ensembles supporting Donald Byrd and Joshua Redman at Cornell University, her graduate school alma mater.  She is a musician with Maui Jazz and Blues Festival 2016 (to present) along with award-winning musicians Benny Uyetake (Na Hoku), Rock Hendricks, Larry Coryell, Delfayo Marsalis, and Javon Jackson. Additionally, she has headlined at the Blue Note Hawaii where she has also been regularly featured with the Mike Lewis Big Band. She is a frequently featured artist with Jazz Maui Festival 2018 (to present) where she has played in concert with Quincy Jones and Clark Terry protege Justin Kauffman and Katie Thiroux.

​Jazz pianist Jeff Hellmer has enjoyed a 35-year career as a performer and educator, appearing frequently on the central Texas scene as well as throughout the United States at venues ranging from the Litchfield Jazz Festival to the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Twice named a finalist in the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, he has performed and taught jazz throughout the United States as well as in Russia and Taiwan. As the long-time director of the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra, he led performances of the band at the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals and has appeared with jazz masters such as Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, John Clayton, and Kenny Garrett.

Guitarist Prem Brosio is a professional guitarist and music educator from Maui. He earned a Bachelor of Education in Music from UH Manoa and a Master of Arts in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Composition from Washington State University. Before attending UH Mānoa he traveled to Switzerland and took classes at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, a music conservatory for Pop/Rock and Jazz. Prem has been playing guitar for about 25 years, and enjoys playing a number of styles including jazz, blues, classical, Hawaiian, rock, pop and reggae.

 Drummer Howie Rentzer has played in lots of top 40 bands in Boston and Los Angeles and in Honolulu where he played with Jimmy Borges, Carol Kai, Maria Muldaur, and Bobby Enriques. On Maui he has performed with Henry Allen, George Benson, Mose Allison, and Greg Karukas. Howie has opened for Kenny Loggins and was in the band for Howie Mandel’s comedy show.

Held in the upstairs open-air pavilion, Sunset Jazz offers great live jazz music and sunset views. During the concerts, the Chocolate Factory features a carefully curated wine, spirits and beer list. The menu includes three flights of chocolate and beverage pairings and pairings-by-the-glass for purchase. Chocolate Sommeliers are on hand to assist with pairings or imbibers can create their own.

 Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate, through its Chocolate Laulima program, supports local nonprofit organizations such as Arts Education for Children Group/Jazz Maui. Proceeds from concert ticket sales benefit Jazz Maui’s music education programs.

 Jazz Maui, a branch of the 501(c)-3 nonprofit Arts Education for Children Group (www.aecg.org), provides opportunities for participation in high quality jazz music education and performances. Throughout the year Jazz Maui presents Sunset Jazz every Sunday and the Pau Hana Series every Friday in Lahaina, and special concerts, clinics and classes held at various venues around the islands. Jazz Maui supports “Sheryl Renee Salutes” at ProArts. Selected performances presented by Jazz Maui are live-streamed on the organization’s website: www.JazzMaui.org.

 For tickets visit https:// mauichocolate.com/pages/sunset-jazz or JazzMaui.org and for more information text (808) 283-3576 or email info @aecg.org.