OUR STORY
About Us
The Houston Jazz Collective is a 501(c) non profit organization
The Houston Jazz Collective is dedicated to showcasing the rich legacy of jazz in Houston through cultural, tribute, and performance-based events. Past concerts have featured Houston-born or Houston-connected artists of international renown, including Frank Lacy, Kirk Whalum, Billy Harper, Bob Dorough, and Chris Dave. Signature productions have included The Cobb 100, with Shelley Carrol and Kirk Whalum paying tribute to saxophonist Arnett Cobb, and a Sebastian Whittaker tribute at the House of Blues featuring the Conrad Johnson Orchestra, the Houston Jazz Orchestra, Sput Searight, and Chris Dave.
The organization began as the Houston Center for After School Jazz Programs, launched through the vision of trombonist Andre Hayward and Joseph Peine, with musician/producer Tim Ruiz contributing to early conversations that reignited the idea of a Houston-based jazz festival. This effort led to the revival of a long-dormant tradition at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Today, the annual Houston Jazz Festival is the Collective’s flagship event, building on the legacy of the SUM Arts Jazz Festival from the 1990s.
In addition to the festival, the Collective has partnered with venues and institutions such as Axelrad and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, presenting concerts that connect Houston’s vibrant jazz community to a broader cultural landscape. The Collective also provides master classes and mentorship programs at colleges and high schools, including Texas Southern University and the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, continuing its mission to inspire and cultivate the next generation of jazz musicians.
Alongside its nonprofit work, the Houston Jazz Collective also functions as a performance ensemble, with rotating lineups of world-class musicians who share its vision. Past ensembles have featured Bobby Sparks (Prince, Tower of Power, Marcus Miller, D’Angelo), Mark Simmons (Al Jarreau, George Benson, George Duke), and HJC board member saxophonist Shelley Carrol (Nancy Wilson, Roger Waters, Joe Williams, Kool and the Gang).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Shelley Carrol
Shelley Carrol, a Houston-born saxophonist with roots in gospel music and raised in a family of singers and musicians, studied with Texas Tenor legends Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson. He sharpened his craft at Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and made his mark early through the Summer Jazz Workshop Program. While at UNT, Carrol performed with the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band and soon after was invited to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra, going on to tour the U.S. and over 30 countries.
As a leader, Carrol has headlined and opened numerous Houston Jazz Festival events, most notably presenting a powerful live tribute to John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme at Miller Outdoor Theatre on September 18, 2021. His albums as a leader include A Distant Star and Gentle Friend, and his wide-ranging performance credits span Sheryl Crow, Kool and the Gang, Nancy Wilson, Roger Waters, and many others.
In addition to his performance career, Carrol is an active educator and mentor, teaching privately, giving clinics, and leading workshops. He also shares his art in underserved communities through his nonprofit, the Infinite Arts Movement, extending his impact beyond the stage.
Andre Hayward
Andre Hayward is a distinguished trombonist celebrated for his warm, smooth tone — earning him the nickname “Big Butter.” He began his musical journey at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), also studying under legendary bandleader Conrad O. Johnson as part of The Big Blue Sound.
Hayward has toured and recorded with a who’s who of jazz greats, including Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Slide Hampton, John Lewis, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Kirk Whalum. His artistry blends technical clarity with gospel-rooted soulfulness, making him one of the most respected trombonists of his generation.
Beyond performance, Hayward played a pivotal role in establishing what would become the Houston Jazz Collective. Alongside Joseph Peine, he helped launch the Houston Center for After School Jazz Programs (under the same EIN as HJC), laying the groundwork for the organization’s broader mission — including the annual Houston Jazz Festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre. His leadership in both education and performance continues to inspire the next generation of jazz musicians.
Joseph Peine
A CPA with extensive industry and nonprofit experience, [Name] brings both financial expertise and a lifelong passion for the arts to his work. He currently serves on the Board of Directors as Audit Chair for Boys and Girls Harbor, where under his tenure the organization achieved accreditation by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and earned the highest 4-star rating by Charity Navigator.
Beyond his financial career, Peine gained early, hands-on, hands-on exposure to the performing arts while working as a stagehand to support his college education. In this role, he contributed behind the scenes with the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, and major touring acts including The Rolling Stones, Earth, Wind & Fire, Willie Nelson, and many more. This unique blend of experience has given him a deep appreciation for both the business and operational side of the music industry.
In addition to his board service, Peine is a chief component of the Houston Jazz Collective, contributing to both creative direction and essential administrative and reporting tasks that keep the organization thriving. His passion for music also extends into recording: through his independent label Merry Lane Records, he produced Eulalia (2014), a project by legendary vocalist Bob Dorough, featuring notable collaborators Aralee Dorough (flute), Phil Woods (alto saxophone), and Dennis Dotson (trumpet).
For more information, visit MerryLaneRecords.com.
Tim Ruiz
Tim Ruiz is a bassist, musician, producer, and four-time Grammy Award winner who spent over two decades touring and recording with the Latin group La Mafia, contributing to the band’s Grammy wins and numerous nominations.
He serves as one of the key Creative Directors of the Houston Jazz Collective, handling both programming and administrative roles. His early collaboration with Joseph Peine helped reignite the idea of a Houston jazz festival, building on the foundation of the Houston Center for After School Jazz Programs. That collaboration led directly to the rebirth of the Houston Jazz Festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre, now a signature event under HJC’s umbrella.
Beyond his nonprofit work, Ruiz manages music projects and books artists for a wide range of private and corporate events, bolstering Houston’s cultural landscape. He has performed with a diverse list of artists, including Frank Lacy, Kermit Ruffins, Chris “Daddy” Dave, Camille Thurman, Shelley Carrol, Nellie McKay, Mark Speer (Khruangbin), Flaco Jimenez, Fausto Cuevas, and Karl Perazzo & Andy Vargas (of Santana). He also served as music director and bassist/guitarist for DJ Sun and Marlen Chen with the Aperio Orchestra.
For more information, visit TimRuizMusic.com.
Brian Perez
Perez holds D.M.A. in saxophone performance from the University of Maryland College Park in 2014. He graduated with honors with a Master of Music in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami, holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and has studied at the L’Aula Conservatori del Musica in Barcelona, Spain. Perez’s teaching career has includes 10 years as Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Director of Jazz Ensembles at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Here he also established a program in Jazz and Popular Music and served for two years as Department Coordinator. Past positions include Salisbury University, Miami Dade Community College, and has served as guest clinician for Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington, University of Miami Young Musician’s Camp, the Head of the Lakes Jazz Festival, as well as others.
As a seasoned musician of jazz, classical & pop styles, he has toured the nation as a woodwind performer for musical theater companies, performed with orchestras and wind ensembles, given solo concert recitals and has performed across the globe with his jazz quartet. His Quartet has performed nationally and internationally including Barcelona & Madrid Spain, Manizales Colombia & Caracas Venezuela. His performing and compositional style is fresh and diverse, rooted in tradition and his music moves toward a cross-pollination of styles and the deterioration of concrete definitions of genres and his compositional & performance style reflects these elements of his environment.