By The Maui News

WAILUKU – Jazz Maui presents Sunset Jazz from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at the Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate Factory, 78 Ulupono Street in Lahaina featuring The Jazz Maui Players: Paul January playing keyboards and trumpet, Howie Rentzer on drums, Loren Tilley on guitar, and Michael Guzalak playing saxophone and clarinet.

Keyboards and trumpet player Paul January got his first paying gig when he was 11 years old, playing piano for a children’s fashion show in Denver, Colorado. By 1972 he was attending music school, teaching piano and trumpet, and working every weekend. He spent the next 46 years playing in various spots around Reno and Tahoe, as a single performer playing jazz, standards, and pop, or with groups as large as 17 playing everything from funk to big band jazz.

January has had the privilege of working with some of the biggest names ever to grace the stages of Reno and Las Vegas, and has made many friends along the way.

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.

Guitarist Loren Tilley and Michael Guzalak on clarinet and saxophone often perform together in the band “Swing Star” playing Gypsy jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt’s Hot Club of France. This musical style includes swinging jazz, waltz, passionate ballads, Bossa Nova as well as the sound of European gypsies. Multi-instrumentalists, they have played in many different bands and styles of music, from accordion to zydeco.

Held weekly in the tropical ambience of the upstairs open-air pavilion, Jazz Maui’s Sunset Jazz features a different line-up of world-class live jazz music accompanied by chocolate/beverage pairings. Concert goers can enjoy selections from an extensive wine, spirits and beer list along with three flights of chocolate and beverage pairings 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 The Jazz Maui 2024 Maui Music Series presents Sunset Jazz every Sunday and Pau Hana Fridays in Lahaina, outstanding visiting virtuosos in a bi-monthly concert series in Kihei, 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.

Sunset Jazz, part of the Jazz Maui 2024 Maui Music Series, is supported by the Hawaii Tourism Authority Community Enrichment Program.

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.