DeShannon Higa is a multi-talented performer, composer, and arranger. His professional experience spans over 30 years and has performed locally and globally with many renown artists including Al Jarreau, Jeff Lorber, Michael Feinstein, Burt Bacharach, the original Elvis Presley band, Diana Krall, David Tao, and Wynton Marsalis.
He has recorded music for film, radio, video games, studio & live CDs. He has done session and solo work locally for Raiatea Helm, Fiji, Mike Love, Jimmy Borges, Hula Joe & the Hut-jumpers among others. DeShannon was a featured soloist on the 2016 multiple Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning album JIMMY BORGES, which won four awards including Best Jazz Album and Album of the Year.
DeShannon is a founding member of the jazz group Bop Tribal, who released their debut album in 2008, winning the Hawaii Music Award for best jazz album, and received a 4-star rating in the prestigious Downbeat Magazine. He currently leads several bands of his own creation including Subtonic Orchestra, Quadpod, and Solid Gold Brass. He is the official musical composer and arranger for the world renown Royal Hawaiian Band (est. 1836). Under his own label WIND & SONG PRODUCTIONS with wife and singer Rocky Brown, DeShannon composed, arranged, produced, and recorded his first solo studio album “Words Cannot Express” in late 2018 to critical acclaim. DeShannon received two Na Hoku Hanohano Awards nominations in 2019 for Jazz Album of the Year and Most Promising Artist.
When he’s not busy touring or performing, DeShannon enjoys flying drones, music production, basketball, gourmet cooking, and traveling.
DeShannon is an Adams Brass artist and plays Adams instruments and Monette mouthpieces.