2026 Jazz Festival - Featuring Michael dease - april 11

Since 2017, the Taft Band Program has been proud to host a local Jazz Festival here in San Antonio, TX for both middle and high school jazz programs. The Spring 2025 festival will take place on Saturday, April 11th at William H. Taft HS. All performing groups will receive audio comments from all judges, and a recording of your ensemble, in addition to discounted tickets to the host concert for participating students. 

We are thrilled to announce this year's guest artist for the host concert- Mr. Michael Dease, Michigan-based trombone and saxophone player, and extortionary educator!

Dease, the winner of the 69th Annual DownBeat Magazine Poll for Trombonist of the Year and multi-Grammy award winner, is also a sought-after lead, section and bass trombonist with today’s leading jazz orchestras. His experiences include bands led by Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Charles Tolliver, Rufus Reid, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. However, it is on the frontline of quintets and sextets led by master musicians like The Heath Brothers, Winard Harper, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Claudio Roditi, and Lewis Nash, where Dease has revitalized the trombone’s image. Not content to simply improvise, Dease arranges and composes for many different bands, constantly adjusting his tone and timbre to add just the right flavor to the music.

Dease’s unique blend of curiosity, hard work and optimism has helped him earn worldwide recognition, including awards from ASCAP, The International Trombone Association, Yamaha, Eastern Trombone Workshop, New York Youth Symphony, Hot House Magazine, Michigan State University, among others. Dease was profiled in Cicily Janus’ book, The New Face of Jazz: An Intimate Look at Today’s Living Legends (Random House). His experience in the studio has led him to produce several recording sessions for emerging artists, often composing and writing liner notes for the releases.

Dease’s singular talent has made him an effective and prolific teacher, resulting in invitations, master classes and residencies at University of North Texas, Scranton University, University of Iowa, Florida State College, Broward College, and many institutions abroad. He serves as Professor of Jazz Trombone at the renowned Michigan State University jazz program and has also been on faculty at Queens College - CUNY, The New School and North-eastern University. Many of Dease’s current and former students are enjoying successful careers in the music world.

Always an informed, but forward-thinking musician, Dease learned the craft from trombone legends Wycliffe Gordon and Joseph Alessi. His associations have run the entire spectrum of musical experience: Alicia Keys, Paul Simon, Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra, Elton John, Neal Diamond, Illinois Jacquet, Slide Hampton & The World of Trombones, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, WDR Big Band, George Gruntz, Billy Harper, and numerous others.

Dease enjoys spending every possible minute with his extraordinary wife and Professor of Percussion at MSU, Gwendolyn Dease, and their daughters Brooklyn & Charley. Michael Dease is a Yamaha Performing Artist and uses Pickett Brass and Vandoren mouthpieces exclusively.

Registration opens at 8 AM on November 1, 2025 at www.TaftRaiderBand.org, All registration payments are due no later than February 1st, 2025. Groups that register and do not submit payment (or purchase order) will have their position opened up to the ensemble waitlist. The entry fee is $350.00 for each band which will include professional recording services for your band. All participating bands get a discounted ticket rate of $10 per ticket for participating student performers and directors. Additional tickets will be on sale for $15 each for non-performers who would like to attend the concert. 

The festival goes throughout the day and is free and open to the public. The ticketed host concert and awards ceremony begins at 7:30 PM and features our guest artist.

Payment is available online through card payment, or an automatically generated invoice for PO or check payments. Please make all checks payable to Taft Raider Band Boosters.

Mail payments to Attention: Taft Raider Band Boosters, 11600 Culebra Rd. San Antonio, TX 78253.

For questions, please contact:  Mr. Greg Mills at gregory.mills@nisd.net