Rachel Spencer "The Next Best Thing" Album Release Show

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Rachel Spencer "The Next Best Thing" Album Release Show!

Trumpeter Rachel Spencer is a jazz artist, composer, and educator whose sound “balances lyric storytelling with expressive soloing—reverent to the tradition, but never trapped by it” (Occhi).

Spencer has performed nationally and internationally as both a bandleader and freelance artist, including serving as lead trumpet on the North American tour of The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy. She has regularly appeared at venues and events including Monk’s Jazz Club, Parker Jazz Club, the Elephant Room, SXSW, and beyond.

This performance celebrates the release of Spencer’s debut album, The Next Right Thing, which has already received international critical acclaim ahead of its September release. Early press has praised Spencer as an artist who “honors the jazz tradition while expanding it,” with critics lauding the album’s melodic writing, emotional depth, and distinctive artistic voice. Disconecta called Spencer “a blazing star, brimming with technique,” declaring, “this album is a triumph of spectacle from beginning to end.”

Written over five years—from the beginning of the pandemic through the completion of her Doctor of Musical Arts degree—The Next Right Thing features seven original compositions exploring mentorship, imposter syndrome, creative joy, and the search for an authentic artistic voice. The album draws its title from a mentor’s enduring advice—“Just focus on doing the next right thing”—and ultimately reflects the courage to choose art over fear, one step at a time.

Alongside her performing career, Dr. Spencer is a dedicated educator with more than fifteen years of teaching experience and an active clinician and masterclass presenter. Her doctoral dissertation offers the first comprehensive study of the later career of trumpeter Blue Mitchell, and in 2025 she received the Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award in support of her artistic work.

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. Doors at 7:00 PM, Show at 7:30 PM.