About the Band

The Texins Jazz Band is a full 18-piece big band based in Dallas, TX. The band is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. From 1986-2019 the band operated as The Texas Instruments Jazz Band and was organized through the Texins Association (Dallas, Texas) of Texas Instruments. The Texins Association ceased operation in 2019 and the band became the Texins Jazz Band in 2020. The majority of band members have STEM based degrees and careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). The band is under the musical direction of Bill Centera. See our Concert Schedule.

The group formed in the summer of 1986, sparked by an ad placed in a TI company newspaper. The band quickly reached a sustainable level and has remained active since its inception. Almost everyone played in high school and/or college and is glad to have an outlet to continue to study and play jazz. The band rehearses every Tuesday night at Richland College in Dallas, Texas. The concerts are normally geared more toward performance type events rather than dance band jobs, but the group can cover many types of events. | Band Bio | Band Photo |


The band has performed at Artfest, Montage, The Meyerson Symphony Center, The Starplex Amphitheater, and The Texas Jazz Festival. At a judged festival at Loyola University in New Orleans in 1995, the band walked away with top honors - a Superior rating in both performance and sight-reading. Artists who have performed with the band include Clark Terry, Phil Woods, John Pizzarelli, Kurt Elling, James Morrison, Veronica Swift, Eric Marienthal, Wayne Bergeron, Peter Erskine, Randy Brecker, Delfeayo Marsalis, Cyrille Aimée, Gregg Bissonette, Lorraine Feather, Kevin Mahogany, Frank Mantooth, Blue Lou Marini, Tom Bones Malone, Bobby Militello, Bob Mintzer, Denis DiBlasio, Bobby Shew, Kim Richmond, Clay Jenkins, Terell Stafford, Sean Jones, Chuchito Valdez, Alexis Cole, Sal Lozano, Mike Vax, Christian Tamburr, Stockton Helbing, Andy Martin, Tim Ries, Scott Whitfield, Chris Vadala, Carol Welsman, Marvin Stamm, Liz Mikel, Sandra Booker, Sarah Kervin, Leon Breeden, Kim Park, Bob Reynolds, Kathy Kosins, Willie Thomas, N'Awlins Gumbo Kings, Bruce Bohnstengel, Rodney Booth, Chris McGuire, Mark De Hertogh, Kent Ellingson, Sparky Koerner, Frank LoCrasto Jr., and Galen Jeter. The band performed at the world renowned Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in July of 2000 and the Cancun Jazz Festival in 2012.

The band has released two CD's "Jazz Bytes - Version 1.0" (2000) and "AlgoRhythm" (2006).

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