Monks Jazz Club's Upcoming Shows

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for ACME & Monks Jazz Present: Marco Antonio Santos feat. Charles Pillow!

Marco Antonio Santos – Guitar

Charles Pillow – Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute

James Sutter – Bass

Fabio Augustinis - Drums

Guitarist and composer Marco Antonio Santos brings New York-based woodwind player Charles Pillow to Monks Jazz on October 2nd for a performance connected to the recording of Santos’s second album. The concert takes place during a week-long recording session for the project, scheduled for release next year.

The new music explores immigration through personal and observed experiences, with a focus on the psychological aspects of being an immigrant in the United States. Santos’s compositions and arrangements bring together elements of Brazilian music, contemporary jazz, and chamber music, using improvisation and written material to approach themes of identity, belonging, displacement, and adaptation.

Charles Pillow is a saxophonist and multi-woodwind instrumentalist whose career includes work with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, John Scofield, Brad Mehldau, Wynton Marsalis, David Liebman, Paul Simon, and Bruce Springsteen, among many others. His own projects include reworkings of classical repertoire as well as his Electric Miles recordings, which explore the electric music of Miles Davis through large-ensemble arranging. Since 2012, Pillow has served as Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music.

Originally from Minas Gerais, Brazil, Marco Antonio Santos is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and educator based in Austin, Texas. His work moves between jazz, Brazilian music, and contemporary composition, with influences ranging from Milton Nascimento and Maria Schneider to Radiohead and Jakob Bro. His 2023 debut album, About: Silence, used music alongside visual art, dance, and poetry to explore different meanings of silence. Santos has performed and recorded with artists including Nenê, Di Melo, Hilda Maria, Rique Pantoja, Marshall Gilkes, Bryan Carter, Chad LB, and André “Limão” Queiroz.

This project is supported in part by an Austin Live Music Fund Grant of Austin

Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment

Please Note: MONKS JAZZ IS NOW A FULL SERVICE BAR. As part of this transition, Monks Jazz is no longer a BYOB venue. We invite you to enjoy our thoughtfully curated beverage menu and roll with us through the changes! As always, this is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Free parking is available in the area.

First Show: Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30pm.

Second Show: Doors at 9:00pm, Show at 9:30pm.

Join us for a Late Nights at Monks, featuring the Ross Margitza Trio!

Ross Margitza - Piano

Miguel Rodriguez - Double Bass

Josh Berry - Drums

Dr. Ross Margitza is a distinguished pianist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and educator. He resides in Austin, TX where he serves as a Lecturer in Jazz Studies/Jazz Piano at the University of Texas at Austin. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, he began his musical journey under the guidance of his father and grandfather, both professional pianists. He started playing piano at age six and trumpet at age ten. Inspired by Oscar Peterson's recording of “West Side Story,” Ross pursued a career in jazz.

An award-winning pianist, Dr. Margitza clinched first place in the 2024 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and second place in the 2009 Phillips Jazz Piano Competition. He has performed alongside acclaimed musicians such as Russell Malone, Jon Faddis, Phil Woods, Patti Austin, Wess "Warmdaddy" Anderson, Roy McCurdy, Antonio Hart, Lynn Roberts, and Christian McBride. His credits also include performances with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Detroit Jazz Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

Internationally, Ross has performed in Japan, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Canada, as well as major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York. As an educator, his previous appointments include serving as the Director of Instrumental Music at both Flintridge Preparatory School near Los Angeles and also St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin. In 2023, he taught collegiately as the Jazz Piano Instructor at Huston-Tillotson University.

He holds a Bachelor of Music from Michigan State University, a Master of Music from Northern Illinois University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Please Note: MONKS JAZZ IS NOW A FULL SERVICE BAR. As part of this transition, Monks Jazz is no longer a BYOB venue. We invite you to enjoy our thoughtfully curated beverage menu and roll with us through the changes! Monks prides itself as a listening room, but late night sessions are always a time to enjoy yourselves a bit more. Free parking is available in the area.

Doors at 10:45 PM, Show at 11:00 PM

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Brazilian Jazz Night | Malone & Friends!

Michael Malone – Saxophone

Sander Pinheiro – Guitar & Vocals

Sofia Kriger – Vocals

Isma Ciriaco – Bass

Michael Longoria – Drums

Michael Malone is an internationally renowned saxophonist and composer whose career spans more than four decades of professional performance, touring, and recording. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, and former Cincinnati resident, Malone has built a diverse career performing alongside some of the most respected names in jazz and contemporary music.

A major chapter of Malone’s career included five years touring internationally with legendary jazz organist Jimmy Smith. His performance credits also include appearances with drummer Cindy Blackman, guitarist Mark Whitfield, and renowned steel pan artist Othello Molineaux of Weather Report.

Malone also led his own group, Just Released, which completed multiple successful tours throughout Europe and Asia. After relocating to Austin, Texas, he became a member and composer with the multiple award-winning Austin group Blaze.

Today, Malone continues to be an active presence in the Austin music scene. He currently leads the Austin-based band NuJazzswing and performs extensively with jazz organ extraordinaire Red Young. He also collaborates with a variety of other Austin-area artists and ensembles, including acclaimed vocalist Pamela Hart and Rabbi Neal Blumofe's Wednesday night jazz meetings.

Drawing on more than 40 years of experience, Malone brings together jazz tradition, contemporary influences, improvisation, and composition to create a distinctive musical voice that reflects a lifetime devoted to performance.

Please Note: MONKS JAZZ IS NOW A FULL SERVICE BAR. As part of this transition, Monks Jazz is no longer a BYOB venue. We invite you to enjoy our thoughtfully curated beverage menu and roll with us through the changes! As always, this is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Free parking is available in the area.

First Show: Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30pm.

Second Show: Doors at 9:00pm, Show at 9:30pm.

Join us for a Late Nights at Monks, featuring the Soto Jazz Trio!

Ben Haugland – Piano

Dustin Pedigo – Bass

Fabio Augustinis – Drums

“A Confluence of excellent original compositions, empathetic ensemble playing and group interplay, as well as memorable solo statements. Highly recommended. 4.5/5 Stars."

– David Orthmann, All About Jazz

Soto Jazz Trio features pianist Ben Haugland, bassist Dustin Pedigo, and drummer Fabio Augustinis. The trio specializes in straight-ahead jazz, blending exceptional original compositions with unique arrangements of jazz standards. Drawing on a deep appreciation for traditional jazz, they bring fresh, modern sensibilities to the genre. What sets the Soto Jazz Trio apart is their seamless integration of Brazilian rhythms and other worldly influences, creating a sound that’s both globally inspired and distinctly their own. The trio’s innovative approach and dedication to musical exploration make them a standout, appealing to listeners who appreciate both tradition and innovation in jazz music.

Please Note: MONKS JAZZ IS NOW A FULL SERVICE BAR. As part of this transition, Monks Jazz is no longer a BYOB venue. We invite you to enjoy our thoughtfully curated beverage menu and roll with us through the changes! Monks prides itself as a listening room, but late night sessions are always a time to enjoy yourselves a bit more. Free parking is available in the area.

Doors at 10:45 PM, Show at 11:00 PM