Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Jerome Gillespie Quartet! Jerome Gillespie – Drums Diego Rivera – Saxophone Ross Margitza – Piano Guillermo Lopez – Bass Jerome Gillespie Jr. grew up as a musically inclined child going to church in Houston, where his god-mother, Theola Booker, a well-known educator and gospel composer was the minister of music. He attended Johnston Middle School (now Meyerland Middle School) and Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). Gillespie moved to NYC in 2016 to pursue a bachelors degree and a career performing jazz music, spending his first 2 years of undergrad at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and completed his degree at 2 at Manhattan School of Music. Music is the vehicle by which he expresses himself; Jerome has always been fascinated with instruments and the way in which performing can touch and move people. He combines various unique and experimental elements from across genres as well as his own ideas resulting in Jazz-centered fusions that are still firmly stitched together by emotive undertones. Gillespie has worked with legends such as Reggie Workman, Frank Lacy, Bobby Watson, Valery Ponomarev, Mark Gross, and Antonio Hart and he cites them as the pivotal influences in his music. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for The Jazz Purveyor Presents: Palma/Carrol Quartet! Michael Palma – Piano Shelley Carrol – Saxophone James Suter – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums Bebop Pop-up at Monks South! Dirty Dallas is down in town. We’re here for the new year, with new music and swinging standards. Let’s burn the house down while it’s built next door. Michael Palma and Shelley Carrol are a Lone Star friendship evolved over two decades. One from true Texas Tenor lineage, the other a sophisticated melodicist; together they balance in the laid back bends of blues and harmony. A long time member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Shelley Carrol came up in a family of gospel musicians in Houston, Texas. There he studied with the legendary saxophonists (and neighbors) Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson, and graduated from the HS for Performing & Visual Arts. He was part of the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band at UNT, now teaches in Dallas when not touring. His resume includes Sheryl Crow, Count Basie Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Roger Waters, Gary Clark Jr., and many others. Michael Palma is a local underdog and homegrown Texas talent. Native to Dallas, he graduated Berklee College of Music where he honed his Jarrett-like sense of navigating forms. Palma has since built a distinguished performance career sharing the bandstand with jazz masters including Jimmy Cobb, George Garzone, Dave Santoro, the Marsalis Family, and has taught at UNT. Known for exceptional musicianship, stylistic depth, and commanding swing, Michael brings a powerful time feel, melodic intrigue, and deep respect for the jazz tradition to each moment of music. Brought to you by The Jazz Purveyor! NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Dayne Reliford Trio! Dayne Reliford – Piano James Suter – Bass Joshua Berry – Drums Dayne Reliford is a pianist, arranger, and composer from Houston, Texas. His musical journey started at the age of 4 when his grandparents enrolled him in lessons after watching him gravitate to their upright piano as a toddler. In December of 2020, Dayne graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. Now, he serves as a freelance musician in Austin and has shared the stage with artists such as Brannen Temple, Robin Mckelle, Delfayo Marsalis, Andre Hayward, Michael Malone, Hannibal Lokumbe, and others. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided!
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Ross Margitza Quintet! Matthew Chavez – Alto Saxophone Dan Thomas - Tenor Saxophone Ross Margitza – Piano Miguel Rodriguez – Bass Daniel Dufour – 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. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Horne/Clemons Quartet! Jonathan Horne – Guitar Cat Clemons – Guitar Sam Pankey – Bass Jeffrey Olson – Drums About Jonathan Farrell: Jonathan Farrell Horne (b. 1983 in Knoxville, TN) is a self taught guitarist currently on tour for the last 2 years, traveling between the US, Norway, the EU, and South America. Jonathan has spent the last 20 years based in Austin, TX collaborating within the realms of many styles and disciplines of music. Jonathan Horne currently plays guitar with the Young Mothers, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten’s (Exit) Knarr, Water Damage, Thor and Friends, Heavy Meddo, his Norway based rock band Horne (w/ Olaf Olsen, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, and Jonas Cambien), a trio with Paal Nilssen Love and Jon Rune Strom, a quartet with Andreas Roysum, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, and Andreas Wildhagen, Horne + Holt, Fussy Chickens (duo with Sandy Ewen), and THC Trio (Thomson, Horne, & Lisa Cameron). Horne has also worked with Glenn Branca, Joe McPhee, Burton Greene, Perry Robinson, Kurt Newman, Bob Hoffnar, Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor, Jaimie Branch, Julien Desprez, Mette Rasmussen, Weasel Walter, Damon Smith, Marshall R. Trammell, Mars Williams, Dave Rempis, Jason Stein, Chris Cogburn, Jeph Jerman, Sarah Hennies, Eugene Chadbourne, Tetuzi Akiyama, Tom Carter, Nate Cross, Misha Marks, Hans Hulbækmo, Alex Coke, Omar Tamez, White Denim, and many others. About Cat Clemons: Cat Clemons III is a guitarist, bassist, composer, and educator based in Austin, Texas. Cat has been a central figure in Austin’s vibrant music scene for the past 15 years, performing and recording with many of the city’s top groups including Wild Child, White Denim, Sir Woman, and Hot Texas Swing Band, as well as leading his own genre-defying project, The Cat Clemons Corporation. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Eloise Live from Monks | Texas Tour! Eloise Carter – Vocals Marco Santos – Guitar Mike Sailors – Trumpet Judah Guerra – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums Growing up as the sole Ella Fitzgerald and Natalie Cole enthusiast in the household, Eloise’s passion for jazz blossomed naturally. She began voice lessons at age 13 at the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music. In high school, she shifted to an independent coach, oscillating her study between musical theater and jazz traditions. While studying Theater and Education Psychology at Sarah Lawrence College, Eloise’s step-father encouraged her desire to sing by producing a house concert series during her semester breaks from school. After receiving her bachelors degree, Eloise attended The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, a two year acting conservatory in New York City. Her postgraduate pursuit of music began as side project with a friend as a way to feel invigorated while auditioning. A few gigs later, Eloise decided to investigate a career in music more seriously. Now she is fresh out of the Tribeca Jazz Institute’s Vocal Intensive, taught by Lucy Yegazarian. An emerging artist in both the acting and music fields, Eloise was recently in a short film premiering at the Austin Film Festival, is working on a Shakespeare adaptation entitled Gents Can’t Measure, writing her first short film script, and planning to release her debut EP in 2025. With deep Texas roots, she’s thrilled be back at Monks Jazz Club in Austin. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Carolyn Trowbridge's Album Release Show! Carolyn Trowbridge – Vibraphone Jenny Carson and Caitlin Palmer – Vocals Elaine Barber – Harp Alex Coke – Flute Jason Frey – Saxophone Bryan Sunderman – Guitar Mario Castellanos – Bass Andy Beaudoin – Drums Austin Music Award-nominated multi-instrumental musician, performer, and composer, Carolyn Trowbridge is an energetic, multifaceted artist. Her innovative fluency with her craft creates sonic experiences, fueled by a zealous passion for all things “sound”. She has recorded, collaborated and performed with several well-known artists including Jaime Wyatt, Adrian Quesada, Star Parks, Alex Coke/Carl Michel Sextet, Billy Sheehan, Hard Proof, Tracii Guns, Grammy Award nominees Black Pumas and many more. In 2023, Trowbridge established her own 5-piece project, Found Memories, an evocative homage to all the impactful moments within her mind, from a spirited grackle attack to the winding staircase of her Czech childhood home. In addition to her projects and regular performance schedule, Trowbridge is an established music educator with 20+ years of experience teaching theory, composition and practical skills, delivering masterclasses across the country and competing internationally. In 2018, she co-directed the Walsh Middle School percussion ensemble, leading them to win the award of the International Percussion Ensemble Competition, where they performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. She is also an active member of Austin’s steel band community, performing at private events and weddings, as well as alongside the Inside Out Steel band and performing at Trinidad and Tobago’s Panorama, an annual music competition of steel bands. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Chris Jones Album Release Show | "Meatsuits on Parade" Ethan Lord – Saxophone Drew Simpson – Guitar Josh Meadows – Piano Chris Jones – Bass Mike Gordon – Drums Composer/upright bassist Chris Jones brings his quintet to Monk’s for a special show to celebrate the release of his new album titled “Meatsuits on Parade.” The performance features all original music that fuses traditional jazz with a wide array of musical and artistic influences. Originally from Portland, Oregon, bassist and composer Chris Jones made his home in Boston, New York and Tokyo before settling in Austin in 2008. Along the way he’s worked with traditional and progressive jazz ensembles, singer/songwriters, symphony orchestras and avant-garde Japanese rock bands. In 2018, he toured Japan with acclaimed trombonist Andre Hayward to promote their co-led album Way Back Home. Chris now performs regularly in the Austin area with a variety of artists including Pamela Hart, Marco Santos' Live Jukebox Trio, Cicely Jones, Ange K and many others. For this performance, Chris brings his quartet to Monk's to play his original compositions which draw from diverse, unexpected influences, reflecting his interests in art and music from home and around the world. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Peggy Stern Quintet! Peggy Stern – Piano Joey Colarusso – Tenor Saxophone Brian Bettger – Trumpet David Craig – Bass Rob Kazenel – Drums ARTIST STATEMENT: This concert for the New Year, New Venue of Monks will feature several new compositions by Stern. Known both as a pianist and composer, with 4 of her tunes in the Real Book series, Peggy is excited to debut her new pieces in such a forward-thinking environment. And what a band! NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: Wilson Marks Quartet! Wilson Marks – Guitar Stephen Smith – Keyboards Sam Pankey – Bass Aaron Parks – Drums One of Austin’s finest little known troubadours- a songwriter’s songwriter. Playfully prodding the human condition with an idiosyncratic pop ingrained with folk and NOLA jazz instincts, the singer / guitarist / pianist tosses off tunes with that magic mixture of simplicity and gravity. Endlessly surprising. -Austin Chronicle Wilson Marks studied jazz in the city of New Orleans but is based in Austin Texas- His songs cross genres and often feature word play, alliterative turns of phrase, harmonic twists or furry chords- When not playing with his own trio, most often comprised of Josh Flowers (bass) and Aaron Parks (percussion), he works as a side-man for a variety of other projects in live or studio endeavors - including The McMercy family Band, Matt the Electrician, The Jitterbug Vipers, The Lonesome Heroes, Datri Bean Band, The Aaron Parks Project, Sarah Sharp, and more. He has 4 albums of original material streaming from the usual online musical spigots and one release from an ambient, or hambient side project under the moniker The Pig Loopowski. By day he teaches elementary general music in Hays CISD, seeing 920 students every seven days. ——— Make a donation to be recognized: Supporter Level: Donate $50 or more, and we'll mention your name as a Supporter of the "AJS Presents: Midweek @ Monks" series, as part of the mission to creating more sustaining performance opportunities for Austin jazz musicians! Sponsor Level: Donate $100 or more, you’ll be recognized as a Sponsor of the "AJS Presents: Midweek @ Monks" series. Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Aaron Parks Quintet! Gene Centeno – Saxophone Tommy Howard – Guitar Andy Langham – Piano James Suter – Bass Aaron Parks – Drums Born and raised in Houston, TX, Aaron Parks moved to Austin in 2005 to attend University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. A lifelong passion for drumming led him to take jazz combo classes and lessons from the jazz faculty. Ever since, Aaron has become an in-demand freelance drummer on the Austin music scene, performing with groups and artists in a wide range of styles and influences, including Andre Hayward, Gil Del Bosque, Paul Klemperer, Tommy Howard, Cat Clemons, Mente Clara, Wilson Marks, Bruce Saunders, Ben Balmer. In 2018, he released his debut album, Space Jazz. The 2020 sequel, Parks & Wreck, was recognized as one of The Austin Chronicle’s top 100 albums of the year. aaronparksdrums.com NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Seth Carper Quintet Seth Carper – Saxophones Adrian Ruiz – Trumpet Andy Langham – Piano James Suter – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums Making his return as a bandleader to the Austin jazz scene, Dr. Seth Carper brings his saxophone and a stellar band of old and new friends to Monks to perform his original compositions and inventive arrangements of jazz standards. Originally from a small farm in North Carolina, Seth has performed all over the world as a sideman and leader. He spent seven years in the central Texas jazz scene, co-founding the NOW Jazz Orchestra, teaching at Texas State University, and performing with a myriad of groups. After a five-year absence while teaching at Cornell, Syracuse and Binghamton Universities, Seth is excited to return to Texas State University to rejoin the jazz faculty and bring his music back to the Austin jazz community. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Julie Slim & Rendezvous! Julie Slim – Vocals Shawn Eillison – Piano Shirley Johnson – Accordion Chris Jones – Upright Bass Joe McCreary – Drums Julie Slim is an Austin-based Lebanese-Palestinian-American world jazz vocalist and actress, who has been in the Austin theater and music scene since 1996, when she was nominated for an I.B. Payne Acting Award for her work in the original children’s show, Deep in the Heart of Texas. In 1999, Julie created a duet Cabaret Act, Cabarageous, with friend and vocalist Donna Lipman, which was featured in the summer Zach Scott Cabaret Series. In 2009, Julie also formed the Arabic band, Layalina in collaboration with Sari Andoni (oud), specializing in classical and folk Arabic music, which was featured in a SXSW World Music showcase in 2010. Julie has been a lead vocalist and clinician for the Austin Jazz Workshop since 2001, spreading the love of jazz to children in elementary schools in and around Austin. She is a member of the Austin Threshold Choir, thresholdchoir.org, an international organization that provides comfort during life transitions through song. Beginning in November 2023, Julie has been a lead vocalist with the Viva Palestina Orchestra, featuring Palestinian music, raising awareness of Palestinian culture. On March 27, 2025, Viva Palestina Orchestra received a music proclamation declaring this day to be Viva Palestina Orchestra Day, during which the VPO performed one of our songs in the City Council Chambers. Since 2013, Julie and her band, Julie Slim & RendezVous, have been performing in and around Austin, creating community and bridging cultures while uplifting and touching audiences wherever they perform. The band specializes in reviving international jazz and pop standards from the early 20th century as well as featuring original songs composed by Shawn Ellison and Julie Slim. Julie Slim & RendezVous has held residencies at Skylark, Shore ATX, and Parker Jazz Club. Additionally, Julie Slim Duo with Shawn Ellison have a residency at Plate by Dzintra that is ongoing for over 4 years. Julie has self-produced several albums with RendezVous under the name Julie Slim, streaming wherever music lives. “Singing is musical storytelling that heals while opening the heart to new possibilities.” NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided!
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Zachary Finnegan's Timeless Quartet! Personnel TBA Zachary Finnegan is a Chicago-based trumpeter, composer, and bandleader rapidly emerging as one of jazz’s most compelling new voices. Since joining Michael Bublé’s band in 2022, he has performed on five continents and on some of the world’s most iconic stages, including Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Opera House, London’s O2 Arena, Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, and São Paulo’s Allianz Parque. Praised for his “golden tone and excellent technical command” (All About Jazz), Finnegan has appeared on fourteen recordings, culminating in his debut solo album Guidance & Gratitude (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2024), which received widespread international acclaim. As the International Trumpet Guild noted, his compositions and improvisations display striking depth, maturity, and narrative clarity. Equally at home as a sideman, collaborator, and leader, Finnegan’s trumpet has been heard with artists and ensembles spanning electro-funk (KNOWER), modern jazz (Camila Mennitte Quintet/Chicago Freedom Ensemble), big band (Buddy Rich Big Band/Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra), jazz crooners (Sal Valentinetti/Hayden Grove/Myles Hayes) singer songwriter (Rosalba Valdez/Jack Greenwood), Iranian Pop (Shadmehr Aghili) and groove-based projects like Clint Breeze & The Groove. His bands have performed at premier U.S. venues including The Green Mill and Andy’s Jazz Club (Chicago), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), Café Coda (Madison), Mr. Tipple’s (San Francisco), Berlin (Minneapolis) & The Speakeasy at The Gin Mill (NYC). Festival highlights include headlining the Bull Falls Jazz Festival and Taste of Bloomington, and appearances at the Riverfront Jazz Festival; opening for Dave Liebman in 2017 and returning as a featured artist in 2024. A dedicated educator and mentor, Finnegan maintains a private studio, serves on faculty with PCCCArts in Chicago, leads residencies nationwide, and writes commissioned works for student ensembles. Rooted in tradition yet driven by curiosity, his voice bridges jazz, pop, funk, and orchestral worlds with clarity, warmth, and purpose. The Timeless Quintet pays homage to the greats while reimagining the canon for today’s audience. Their repertoire, featuring Zach's original works based off of the jazz lineage and arrangements of songs such as My Favorite Things, Invitation, When You Wish Upon a Star, and many more, showcases the ensemble’s ability to weave nostalgia and innovation into a seamless, captivating sound. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided!
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for First Light Trio | Pankey/Thompson Birthday Bonanza! Chris McQueen – Guitar Sam Pankey – Bass Kyle Thompson – Drums Celebrate the boys this Tuesday January 20th... our resident Capricorn (Pankey) and our household Aquarius (Thompson) are officially one year wiser (or at least older). Another trip around the sun, no casualties. Originally started as a one-off gig at First Light Books in Hyde Park, the First Light Trio has become a monthly show comprised primarily of guitarist Chris McQueen (Snarky Puppy, Forq), bassist Sam Pankey (Heartless Bastards, Balmorhea), and drummer Kyle Thompson (Bob Schneider, Suzanna Choffel). The trio focuses on weaving a through line between Indie Rock, Jazz, and groove music. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: The Indestructible Now! Joe Roddy – Piano Damien Valenzuela – Saxophones Danny Kerner – Guitar Jesse Ebaugh – Double Bass Jack Montesinos – Double Bass Steve Mankenberg – Drums Nico Léophonte – Drums The Indestructible Now! Is born of the marriage of two groups, the Sahara Quartet and the Eternal Now! 5tet. Sahara is a group that came out of the open free jams at the Sahara Lounge on Austin’s east side, curated by Damien Valenzuela. Here Valenzuela, Ebaugh, Kerner and Mankenberg found themselves coalescing as a group, and have been gigging around town for a few years with their own brand of free and composed post-bop. They have a second self produced LP slated for release on December 20th. Eternal Now is the moniker used by Austin instrumental greats The Point when they turn to improvised music. The two groups met in an East Austin studio, David Boyle’s Church House. In February of 2025 they recorded an amazing group of compositions and improvisations that are slated for a release sometime in the spring of 2026, to be titled Vox Cordis. These musicians are hard workers on the Austin scene… Ebaugh came out of the rock band Heartless Bastards to form his own country rock band the Tender Things, and is a journeyman bass player. Valenzuela is in the rising funk band Cazayoux, and along with Kerner, anchors the band at Sahara’s Africa Night. In addition to their band The Point, Roddy (a relative of Ted Roddy) and Montesinos are gigging country and blues musicians as well, as members of Cactus Lee, The Mellows and Sentimental Family Band. Nico Léophonte owns a renowned studio called Alnico Studios, and is producer of The Point’s first album. Mankenberg is a remarkable drummer with deep ties to the Austin jazz community. The group continues to evolve, and attract serious players, with a mission of creating something of deep spiritual value and essential humanity. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 ——— Make a donation to be recognized: Supporter Level: Donate $50 or more, and we'll mention your name as a Supporter of the "AJS Presents: Midweek @ Monks" series, as part of the mission to creating more sustaining performance opportunities for Austin jazz musicians! Sponsor Level: Donate $100 or more, you’ll be recognized as a Sponsor of the "AJS Presents: Midweek @ Monks" series. Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Bidwell/Marshall Quartet! Jaron Marshall – Piano Elias Haslanger – Saxophone Erik Telford – Trumpet Sam Pankey – Bass Stephen Bidwell – Drums Stephen Bidwell and Jaron Marshall have been anchoring the rhythm section of Austin’s Grammy-nominated psychedelic-soul juggernaut Black Pumas since the band’s meteoric rise in 2019. Outside the Pumas' world tour circuit, the two have long bonded over a mutual love of hard bop and funky early-'60s Blue Note cuts: music that grooves as hard as it swings. When their schedules align, they call up a few trusted players and put together a setlist that leans into the soulful side of the jazz canon. This project is a nod to their roots and a chance to stretch in a different direction with deep pocket, deep cuts, and no filler. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for The Austin Django Project | Annual Django Reinhardt Birthday Celebration! Jamey Cummins - Guitar Jake Harrell - Guitar Alen Cileli - Violin Phil Spencer -Bass Lead by Jamey Cummins, The Austin Django Project is a collective of Austin-based guitarists and string players. Honoring one of the greatest to ever do it, the collective brings to life the inspired work of the father of Gypsy Jazz, Django Reinhardt. Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! 22 free parking spaces onsite are first-come-first-serve. First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Elias Haslanger Quintet! An all original program, this show is not to be missed! Elias Haslanger – Tenor Saxophone Mike Sailors – Trumpet Ross Margitza – Piano Ryan Hagler – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums 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. "Haslanger's freewheeling licks roar with virtuosity and infectious joie de vivre." -Michael Jackson, DownBeat NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided! First Show: Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. Second Show: Doors at 9:45pm, Show at 10pm.
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the David Chao Quartet! David Chao – Piano Eric Hargett – Saxophone Ben Triesch – Bass Daniel Sanchez – Drums David is a jazz pianist and composer based in Austin, Texas. In September 2025, David started writing 50 new songs in 100 days, specifically for this show. This performance will feature the band’s selection of compositions from this new body of work. NEW ADDRESS | 310 E SAINT ELMO ROAD, UNIT B AUSTIN TX 78745 Please Note: This is a live-taping, so we'll be enforcing a whisper-policy! Cold bottles of still and sparkling water will be available for purchase, but this event is BYOB. Ice will be available if needed, wine keys and 9oz cups provided!