Monks Jazz Club's Upcoming Shows

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for 10 Years of Monks | Elias Haslanger & Tito Carrillo! We’re celebrating a decade of Monks all week long this September with friends, family, artists, and everyone who has helped make this place what it is. Come raise a glass, hear some great music, and celebrate 10 years of Monks with us.

7:00 PM Early Show with Elias Haslanger

9:30 PM Late Show with Tito Carrillo

About Elias Haslanger:

Over the span of his 30-year music career, native Texan and Austin resident Elias Haslanger has carved a unique and distinguished place in jazz history as a saxophonist, composer, and band leader, whose playing and writing has drawn comparisons to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster, and Wayne Shorter. He has performed, recorded, and toured with many world-class artists including Ellis Marsalis, Maynard Ferguson, Christopher Cross, Charlie Hunter, Asleep at the Wheel, Alejandro Escovedo, Sheryl Crow, Grupo Fantasma, Spoon, The Four Tops, and The Temptations, among many others.

Mentored by the legendary saxophonists Harvey Pittel and Dick Oatts, Elias studied saxophone at the University of Texas and then at the Manhattan School of Music. His interest in writing music culminated in a Master’s Degree in Composition at Texas State University in San Marcos. Elias has performed around the United States and Europe at clubs like Snug Harbor in New Orleans, Jazz Alley in Seattle, The Elephant Room in Austin, and The Blue Note in New York. He has also served as a guest artist/lecturer at universities around the nation.

Elias has 7 recordings as a leader all of which have been played on radio stations across the world. His 2014 recording LIVE at the Gallery, received 4.5 stars in Downbeat magazine and was listed as one of the best recordings of the year.

About Tito Carrillo:

Tito Carrillo is a trumpeter, composer, and educator whose music blurs the lines between Afro-Caribbean music traditions and modern jazz. Born and raised in Austin to a Puerto Rican father and Mexican-American mother, Carrillo came to prominence in the mid-90’s in Chicago’s rich jazz and Latin music scenes, becoming a top call soloist, bandleader, and freelance trumpet artist.

The Chicago Tribune describes him as having “acquired a reputation as a fluid improviser, doubly blessed with a warm lyric style and technique to burn.”

Carrillo released his debut solo album in 2011, entitled Opening Statement (Origin Records), to rave reviews. His most recent project Urbanessence (Origin Records), was released in October 2022 to much critical acclaim, and was selected as one of the top Latin music albums of 2023 by the North American College and Community (NACC) Radio Chart.

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 6:30pm, Show at 7:00pm.

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

Join us for Late Nights at Monks, featuring the Collin Shook Trio!

Collin Shook – Piano

James Suter – Bass

Daniel Dufour – Drums

Collin Shook, native to Dallas, Texas, is a jazz pianist, composer, and founder of Monks Jazz. During high school, he studied instruments from all around the bandstand, moved to Austin in 2007, performed and recorded in Tucson from 2009 to 2013, and finally returned to Austin in 2014. In September 2016, Collin collaborated with the art co-op Topology in East Austin to create Monks Jazz Club, a pop-up listening room concept.

Having hosted nearly 100 pop-up concerts in over a dozen venues from 2016-2020, Monks transitioned to a live-streaming format in response to the pandemic, and in 2021 landed a permanent brick and mortar space in the heart of East Austin, where Collin has produced over 600 Monks live-taping concerts. His two albums as a leader (Derivatives 2012 & The Desert 2016) can be found at collinshook.bandcamp.com

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 10 Years of Monks | Mercedes Solis & Bruce Saunders! We’re celebrating a decade of Monks all week long this September with friends, family, artists, and everyone who has helped make this place what it is. Come raise a glass, hear some great music, and celebrate 10 years of Monks with us.

5:00 PM Early Show with Mercedes Solis

7:30 PM Late Show with Bruce Saunders

About Mercedes Solis:

Mercedes Solis is bassist born and raised in Austin, TX. She graduated from Austin Community College, completing her associates in 2024, studying with Dr. James Suter, Jacob Wise, and Dr. Steven Sodders. After getting her associates, she transferred to Texas State University where she completed her Bachelor of Jazz Performance degree in 2026, studying under Dr. Utah Hamrick and Tito Carillo.

Mercedes is the founder of Women of Jazz TX, a member of the Austin Federation of Musicians Local 433, and a musician for Austin Jazz Workshop. She has had the opportunity to perform alongside some of the most outstanding national and local musicians of our time such as Tito Carrillo, Daniel Dufour, Elias Haslanger, Peggy Stern, Hank Hemsoth, Mara Kaye, Matt Berger, Bruce Saunders, Rosie Flores, Jim Stringer, Mark Scott III, and Sam Howden. She has also toured the country with The Grand Ol’ Production Company for their “Grand Ol’ Americana Show” and “Grand Ol’ Christmas Show” 2025 and 2026 productions.

About Bruce Saunders:

Bruce Saunders is a guitarist, composer and educator currently residing in Austin, TX. After receiving his Masters degree in jazz/classical guitar from the University of North Texas in 1986 he moved to New York City where he was a resident until late 2013. During his tenure in NY he recorded, performed and toured with some of the worlds best jazz musicians. Since moving to Austin he has played with many of the world class jazz musicians in the city and state. Saunders is currently a lecturer at the University of Texas/Austin’s Butler School of Music where he teaches private guitar lessons and a faculty member of Berklee’s Online University (BOL) where he developed and teaches two jazz guitar courses.

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 4:30pm, Show at 5:00pm.

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