KINDER HSPVA TO PRESENT 48th ANNUAL FALL JAZZ FESTIVAL FEATURING GUEST ALUMNI: DALETON LEE (’99), DRUMS BRANDON LEE (’01), TRUMPET BOTH WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE HSPVA JAZZ HALL OF FAME
Kinder HSPVA will present the annual Fall Jazz Festival on November 7 and 8, 2025, with groups arrayed as follows:
Friday, Nov. 7: HSPVA Jazz Combos I, II, III; Fusion Combo;
Guitar Ensemble; Piano Duets
Saturday, Nov. 8: HSPVA Jazz Ensembles I and II
6:30 p.m. both evenings; 790 Austin St.
Tickets: hspvafriends.org/boxoffice
The Fall Festival will be under the direction of Mr. James Westfall, well-known vibraphonist thriving in his second year as HSPVA’s Director of Jazz Studies. He is also an alumnus, class of 2000.
Daleton Lee is a Houston-based drummer and is quick to credit several of his HSPVA predecessors as inspirations: Chris Dave, Eric Harland, Mark Simmons and Joel Fulgham; in addition, his Johnston Middle School director, Craig Green and former Houstonian Todd Harrison. Upon graduating from HSPVA, Daleton almost-instantly became Houston’s busiest jazz/commercial drummer and remains so today. A career highlight was appearing with Juan Fernando Fonseca at the Latin Grammys in 2008.
Brandon Lee is a New York City-based trumpeter, composer, arranger and educator. His impressive performance credits include three albums as leader, two as co-leader, over 30 as sideman, membership in the Count Basie and Christian McBride big bands and laudatory orchestra credits on Broadway. He holds three degrees from Juilliard, where he was a member of its highly selective inaugural Jazz Studies class in 2001. Brandon was formerly a professor at University of North Carolina/Greensboro and is currently jazz trumpet professor at New York University.
NOTE: Daleton and Brandon Lee will appear on Saturday, November 8, only.
During Saturday’s concert, the brothers Lee will both be inducted into the HSPVA Jazz Hall of Fame, sponsored by DocFest, Inc. Founded in 2013, the previous 25 inductees may be observed via docfestjazz.org.
Houstonians can look forward to a “stand alone” DocFest concert in fall, 2026, and to future HSPVA Jazz/DocFest partnerships spotlighting future Hall of Fame honorees.
For further info:
General information: 713/874-0087
Hall of Fame and DocFest information: 832/784-1781
DocFest Houston 