Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Jerry Espinoza Cubano-Bop Sextet! Jerry Espinoza - Saxophone Chris Cermak - Trumpet/Flugel Horn Joseph Hernandez - Piano Bruno Avitia - Bass Rene Garcia - Congas Chris Torres - Drums Born in Laredo, Texas, Jerry Espinoza received his bachelor's degree in Classical Saxophone Performance at Texas A&M in Kingsville, under the direction of James Warth. Jerry also earned a master's degree in 2015 in Jazz Studies at Texas State University, with emphasis in arranging, under the direction of Russell Haight and Hank Hehmsoth. Currently, he serving as adjunct professor of saxophone at A&M Kingsville and performs as a freelance musician across Central Texas. This concert will feature original compositions and fresh arrangements of jazz standards penned by Jerry & members across the bandstand. 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 Michael Hale Trio feat. Mac McIntosh! Michael Hale - Drums/Vocals Jimmy Blazer - Upright & Electric Bass Marcell Coleman - Keyboards Mac Mcintosh - Vocals Austin blues and jazz legends, the Michael Hale Trio featuring Mac Mcintosh bring the great American songbook live to their weekly residences at Half Step and the King Bee Lounge. Celebrating 10 years at their Half Step residency, catch them every Tuesday at 9:30pm showtime. Sundays at 9pm on historic blues 12th Street the Michael Hale Trio featuring Mac Mcintosh have been playing at King Bee for 8 years. Austinite Mac Mcintosh sings lead vocals hitting the high notes. Michael Hale, recently named Austin's Best Jazz Performer by the Austin Chronicle, heads up the trio on the drums with Jimmy Blazer on the stand up bass and Marcell Coleman on keys. Come see why these legends have a multi-award winning short film written about them. 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 Elena Diaz Quartet! Elena Diaz - Vocals Matt Berger - Guitar Bass - TBA Jason McKenzie- Drums/Tabla/Kanjira Elena Diaz is a vocalist and musician from Houston, Texas, known for her rich voice—often compared to Karen Carpenter and Rosa Passos—and her ability to sing in multiple languages. A former member of the prestigious Houston Children's Chorus, Elena has graced iconic stages like The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Stude Concert Hall at Rice University, and The Grand 1894 Opera House, performing alongside luminaries such as Maureen McGovern, Heather Headley, and Shirley Jones. She has also opened for Alejandro Escovedo and shared the stage with Jon Herington of Steely Dan and Adam Scone of Sharon Jones and The Sugarman 3. In 2017, Elena moved to the South of France, performing throughout the French Riviera and Europe while exploring Latin jazz with her band, The FR Collective. Beyond performing, she has made her mark as a producer and co-writer, including a song featured in a film nominated at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. Her EP will debut in the summer of 2025. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Theresa Chen Septet | Kingsville Meets Austin–Sounds From the Borders! Theresa Chen - Piano Chris Cermak - Trumpet Frank Chapa - Alto/Soprano Saxophone Jerry Espinoza - Tenor Saxophone Josh Gentile - Trombone Miguel Rodriguez - Double Bass Joshua Alderete - Drums Theresa Chen, D.M.A., is an active, well-rounded musician. She serves as an assistant professor of jazz studies at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK). She is the first Taiwanese American to teach jazz full-time at a music college in the United States. She has given clinics, lectures, and masterclasses around Taiwan and America. Her first jazz album, Whispering to God, was released digitally in December 2021 and physically in July 2022. Dr. Chen has shared the stage with famous jazz artists such as Gary Smulyan, Ingrid Jensen, Dave Liebman, Bria Skonberg, Boris Kozlov, Victor Provost, Allison Miller, Chien-Chien Lu, Nathan Graybeal (Saxologic), Andre Heyward, Gerry Gibbs, and Scott Wendholt. She also performed at the Texas Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, WGMC-Jazz90.1 Radio Station, KEDT Radio Station, Civic Morning Musicals, Syracuse Opera, WCNY (Symphoria), and many other prominent jazz venues in Taiwan, Central New York, and South Texas. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Margaret Slovak Trio! Margaret Slovak - Guitar Chris Maresh - Bass Masumi Jones - Drums Guitarist and composer Margaret Slovak was born and raised in Denver, Colorado; she began playing the guitar at age 11 and composing at age 14. In 1986, Margaret received a BFA in Music (with Honors) from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. Her teachers included guitarists John Abercrombie, Dale Bruning, Dave Peterson and Ralph Towner. She also studied at the Banff Centre Jazz Workshop in Alberta, Canada. Margaret has performed throughout the US, as well as in Canada and Europe. She moved to Austin, Texas in 2012 from New York, where she lived from 1988–1993 and also from 2008–2012. While in NYC, Margaret had the opportunity to perform and record with pianists Fred Hersch and Joel Weiskopf, bassists Michael Formanek and Harvie S and drummer Michael Sarin. While living in Portland, Oregon, she toured the Pacific NW and Canada with her quartet, which included the legendary drummer Ra-Kalam Bob Moses. In addition to public performances, Margaret plays for patients in chemotherapy infusion centers, hospitals and hospice. Margaret is also a visual artist, often creating images which reflect her musical compositions; her colorful artwork appears on her CD packages. Margaret has released 5 CDs, 4 of which feature her original music: Undying Hope, New Wings, For the Moment, Ballad for Brad and A Star’s Light Does Fall (a duo album with Chris Maresh). Margaret’s albums have received excellent reviews and extensive national and international radio airplay, and her music has been used in several documentary films. She is also included in Scott Yanow’s 2013 book The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Cosmic Intuition's showcasing of rarely played compositions by: Marion Brown Oliver Lake McCoy Tuner and Wayne Shorter! Alex Coke: Tenor Sax & Flute Joe Woullard: Bari/Tenor/Alto Sax & Flutes Brad Andrew: Tenor Saxophone Marc Sustaita: Trumpet Fumihito Sugawara: Guitar Lex Chabraja: Piano George Walker: Bass James Fenner: Percussion Rashah Amen: Drums & Percussion Cosmic Intuition formed in 1991 after Rashah Amen assembled a select group of players to perform a Miles Davis Tribute after his passing. The trumpeter for the performance Mark "Pat/Homeboy" Patterson suggested that we continue to play together and form a group. Through the years Cosmic Intuition has been a staple of the Austin scene, performing at The Victory Grill, McCullough Theatre, Boyd Vance Theatre, Mabee Ballroom, The Spider House Ballroom, King-Seabrook Chapel and many other venues. Several great Austin Musicians have been members of Cosmic Intuition including Ephraim Owens, Martin Banks, Michael Malone, Richard Price, Melvin Welborn, Edwin Livingston and Chandra Washington to name a few. This event: "Improvisation Soundscapes" (A Concert for Human Harmony) is dedicated to Saxophonist/Flautist Bilal Sunni-Ali from Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson's Midnight Band and the group he led for many years Song of Life Ensemble. Bilal came to Austin several times to perform with Cosmic Intuition, while Rashah and Bilal were very close Musical compadres for 27 years. This project is supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping of Laugh Higher's top comedians! Hosted by Matty Stu, the show will feature sets from: Matty Stu - Host and Comedian Jay Legend - Comedian Spencer Gavins - Comedian Matt Ross - Comedian Brandon Legendre - Comedian Bianca Parato - Comedian Lukas McCrary - Comedian Laugh Higher, a driving force in Austin’s thriving comedy scene, presents its first-ever live taping—featuring Austin’s top up-and-coming comedians! Catch the next big names in an intimate, high-energy setting. Limited seats. Big laughs. Don’t miss out! Please Note: This is a live-taping! 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Rafael Rosa Quartet! Rafael Rosa - Guitar & FX Renato Diz - Piano & Keyboards Juan Acosta - Bass Gerry Gibs - Drums Rafael Rosa, a distinguished guitarist, composer, and engineer from San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been an influential presence in the New York City music scene since relocating in 2011. A self-taught musician who began playing guitar at 14, Rosa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Popular Music from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. His dynamic performances have graced notable venues such as the Blue Note Jazz Club, ShapeShifter Lab, and Dizzy’s Club, and he’s collaborated with celebrated artists including Luba Mason, Al Jarreau, and the Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project. His acclaimed 2014 debut album Portrait, co-produced with Grammy-winning bassist John Benitez, blended Puerto Rican rhythms with jazz and rock. Rosa’s 2022 follow-up, Axiomatic: Music For The People, further cemented his reputation, earning him a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition. As an educator, Rosa teaches at Long Island University's Roc Nation School of Music, where he covers a broad range of courses from music technology to production. He has also taught at NYU, CUNY, and St. John’s University. Currently, Rosa is working on several ambitious projects, all set for release in 2026. These include R & R, a piano-guitar duo with Portuguese pianist Renato Diz; Thru The Years, a trio album with longtime collaborators Dan Martinez and Leonardo Osuna; the debut of the DRD Modern Organ Trio with Danny DeFeo and Danny Borg; and Profe, a genre-blending, guest-filled exploration of global rhythms and groove-forward soundscapes. 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 Dan Redner Trio! Dan Redner - Piano James Suter - Double Bass Aaron Parks - Drums Dan Redner, a Grand Rapids, Michigan native, is a versatile pianist with a background in both classical and jazz. A 2007 alumnus of Grand Valley State University, he has received outstanding performance recognition from Western Michigan University, Central Michigan University, Aquinas College, and the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival. He has collaborated with the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Austin Symphony Orchestra and worked as a clinic musician for renowned jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Dan also performed at the T.S. Eliot Society Conference in St. Louis for the world premiere of Craig Benjamin’s opera, The Wasteland. As a member of the New Music Ensemble, Dan recorded Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians on the Innova Recordings label. The album was named one of the top recordings of 2007 by The New York Times, L.A. Weekly, The Rest Is Noise, and New York Magazine. It topped Apple Music and Amazon’s classical charts and spent 11 weeks on Billboard’s Top 25 Classical Crossover chart. The ensemble performed at the “Bang on a Can” New Music Festival in NYC and was featured on NPR. Dan spent six years performing internationally as a musical director for Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Azamara Cruises, leading Broadway, revue, and cabaret productions. After relocating to Austin, Texas, in 2011, he earned a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from the Butler School of Music at UT Austin. Currently, Dan performs in various jazz settings, accompanies national Broadway tours at Bass Concert Hall (Wicked, Mean Girls, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), and plays & musical directs for Austin’s Moontower Entertainment. In addition to performing, he teaches a full roster of 60 weekly piano students from his home studio. 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. Doors at 4:45pm, Show at 5pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Christian Wiggs | Oscar Meets Tony – Part II: Songs From Broadway & Cinema! Christian Wiggs — Voice Hank Hehmsoth — Piano James Suter — Bass Matt Carr — Drums Matthew Collins — Trumpet Joey Colarusso — Tenor Saxophone An emerging polymath in the music industry, Christian Wiggs is a vocalist, bandleader, lyricist, producer, director, artist manager, educator, record label executive, founder and CEO of Bandstand Presents and host of “Jazz Tonight” on PBS. Born to a choreographer, Wiggs’ immersion into theatre and the jazz tradition has led to a remarkable career as an artist, leading and featured with ensembles on prolific stages such as Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club and SXSW. Producing chart topping records for the most sought-after names in jazz including Emmet Cohen (JazzWeek #1), Benny Benack and Steven Feifke, Wiggs manages GRAMMY and Tony Award-winner Bryan Carter, Chad LB and serves as the musical/band manager for global icon Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. As an educator, Wiggs is the co-founder and Executive Director of Global Jazz Workshop alongside Artistic Director, Chad LB. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Izze Stein Quartet! Izze Stein - Vocals/Piano Elias Haslanger - Saxophone Ryan Hagler - Upright Bass Joshua Alderete - Drums Izze Stein is a singer-songwriter driven by a deep desire to connect the world and help others heal. Born on the stages and jazz clubs of New York City, Izze is an unsigned independent artist who has made frequent appearances at Birdland Jazz Club, the Apollo Theater, and Wallace Lounge while opening for many soul artists, including Adi Oasis at Palm Heights in the Cayman Islands and Morgan James at the Sellersville Theatre. In addition, Izze is part of Hometowne Music Group, a Nashville-based writing & publishing company. A musician, lyricist, pianist, and singer with a limitless vocal range, Izze released her debut solo album, Questions, earlier this year. Rising Australian sensation EMEREE produced the album, as both artists build their momentum in the Jazz & R&B scenes. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: Sammy Epstein Quintet! Sammy Epstein – Tenor/Alto Saxophones/Clarinet Aaron Lack – Vibraphone Ben Irom – Piano Alex Bilodeau – Acoustic Bass T.B.D. – Drums Sammy Epstein has been playing jazz in Austin since arriving in 2006 from Portland Oregon, where he was an active band leader/performer in the Portland jazz scene. He currently has an active performance schedule, leading several Austin-based groups:  Mirage Jazz Ensemble - (Saxes/Clarinet, Vibraphone, Bass)  Sammy’s Satin Sounds (Swing Dance Sextet)  Rio Novo (Brazilian Quintet)  Sammy Epstein Jazz Duo (Reeds & Piano)  Austin Klezmer Ensemble (Klezmer Quintet) Sammy earned a Ph.D. in physics and a J.D., both from University of Oregon. He taught Acoustics and Math/Physics for Recording Engineers at Berklee College of Music in Boston MA, where he attended music classes. His “day job” is patent attorney at a patent law boutique firm in Austin. –––– 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! 22 free parking spaces onsite are first-come-first-serve. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Wizards of Loneliness! Paulo Santos - Saxophone & FX Zach Kursman - Drums & FX Wizards of Loneliness is an experimental fusion duo led by Paulo Santos (saxophone) and Zach Kursman (drums). Known for their genre-defying interplay and improvisational instinct, the two musicians blend jazz, electronic textures, and spontaneous composition into a sound that is both visceral and transportive. They debuted their project at Monks Jazz in March 2025 as part of the Monks' Jazz Showcases, and return with an ever-evolving set of original material. Regular fixtures in Austin’s creative music scene, Santos and Kursman have each made their mark as in-demand sidemen—and together, they conjure a sonic landscape all their own. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Kwinton Gray Project! Kwinton Gray - Piano/Keyboards Mathew Babineaux - Sax/Flute KJ Gray - Bass Nicholas Rothouse - Percussion Jackie Whitmill Jr - Drums The Kwinton Gray Project is a high-energy jazz fusion group that was assembled in the fall of 2015 by keyboardist Kwinton Gray. The Dallas-based group's first album titled, 'Leap of Faith' released in 2018! This band continues to make waves across the globe, pushing boundaries and genre-bending to their satisfaction. Kwinton has had success as a Composer, Music Director and Keyboardist touring around the world with artist like Lalah Hathaway, Janet Jackson, Camile A. Brown & Dancers, Foley, The Funky Knuckles, MonoNeon, and many more. He continues to shape his story with his own band as They are currently working in their sophomore album Titled “‘BOUNCE’ set to release this summer. 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 Elias Haslanger | Blue Note Review! Playing classic compositions and arrangements from the 50's and 60's Blue Note era of jazz, this show will highlight some of the players, studio sessions and stories that made the Blue Note sound such a unique and important part of our culture. Elias Haslanger - Tenor Saxophone Tito Carrillo - Trumpet Ross Margitza - Piano Ryan Hagler - Bass Mike Gordon - 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 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 Sofia Kriger Quartet! Sofia Kriger - Voice Sander Pinheiro - Guitar James Sutter - Acoustic Bass Michael Longoria - Drums Sofia Kriger is a singer, songwriter and improviser. She was born and raised in Brazil. At the age of 16, she decided to move to NYC to study music and pursue a career. She graduated from the New England Conservatory with a Bachelor's in Jazz Performance, and her music currently embraces a variety of styles and sounds, including Brazilian music, jazz and pop. Sofia has also lived in South Korea for a music residency before she moved to Austin in 2024. Throughout her career, she has performed in several renowned venues including Jordan Hall, The Velvet Note, High Museum of Art and The Museum of Fine Arts. In her past, she was the co-leader of the Mojubá Ensemble, a modern world-jazz quintet that explored the meeting points between Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music. She also led the Solos de Ave Ensemble, a group that explored and reconstructed music of renowned Brazilian composers. Sofia also co-leads the Sofia and Sander project, with Brazilian singer/guitarist Sander Pinheiro. This project emerged when Sofia and Sander started creating and performing their arrangements of different types of World music (in Portuguese, Spanish, and English), including Brazilian music, jazz and pop. Since then, they have been recording original compositions and arrangements, and performing in several venues around the US. Their Brazilian roots from the Southeast and Northeast along with their experiences in different genres is what characterizes Sofia and Sander. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the JJ Johnson Quartet! JJ Johnson - Drums Sam Pankey - Bass Sean Giddings - Piano Eli Menezes - Guitar Growing up in San Antonio and Austin, TX, JJ Johnson has built a tremendous reputation as a masterful drummer with his polyrhythmic grooves and pin-dropping dynamics coupled with his thunderous power and intensity. He has backed some of music’s most talented artists such as Tedeschi-Trucks Band, John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, Sugarland, Doyle Bramhall II, Boz Scaggs and many others. "You've got to put the work and time in, to be armed and prepared, Being in position is being in any position. Then, also doing it with feeling, and learning from it. Those are important principles for me. The camaraderie of a unit on tour and the energy of playing for a live audience is incredibly special. When the lights go down and everyone hits the stage, it brings you to life and reminds you what you’re here to do.” JJ currently resides in Austin, TX and is endorsed by Gretsch Drums, Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Remo drumheads and DW Hardware. 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. Doors at 7:45pm, Show at 8pm. 

Join us for Night One of the No Idea Festival Vernacular Residency with Ken Vandermark & Mabel Kwan! 7pm: Film screening of Daniel Kraus’ Work Series #2: Musician 58 mins, 2007 Daniel Krauss’ film, Musician, works with a similar methodology as Frederick Wiseman—no voice overs, no talking heads—letting the camera capture events as they unfold in real time. Though Ken Vandermark is at the center of the action, he is not the subject of the film. Instead, the subject is the work it takes for every musician, whatever genre, to get their material onstage and is a one-of-a-kind document of this process. 8pm: Mabel Kwan + Ken Vandermark Duo Mabel Kwan and Ken Vandermark have worked together in various formats, including projects with the new music group Ensemble Dal Niente featuring new work by Roscoe Mitchell, Last Trane to Clover Five (2021), and performances at Big Ears Festival (2022). Since then they have played together in various improvised music groups; this will be their first concert as a duo. 9:15pm: Panel Discussion and Artist Talk Vandermark's resoluteness managing innumerable projects function as a springboard to investigate and understand the complexities of establishing and maintaining a creative life in music. Panel members represent different aspects of Ken's sprawling work as musician, label owner (Audiographic Records since 2014), Director of the Catalytic Sound musician cooperative (since 2012), concert presenter (Catalytic Sound Festival since 2020), and writer. Ken Vandermark - musician Mabel Kwan - musician Eric Drott - Professor at UT Butler School of Music and author of Streaming Music, Streaming Capital (Duke Press) Pedro Moreno - Founder of Epistrophy Arts, a grass-roots organization dedicated to presenting the finest in improvised music and adventurous jazz in Austin Texas since 1998. + more TBA 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. 

Join us for Night Two of the No Idea Festival Vernacular Residency with Ken Vandermark & Mabel Kwan! 5 PM | Open Rehearsal / Masterclass (Doors @ 4:45pm) Ken Vandermark leads a 2-hour open rehearsal with his quartet of Texas musicians performing this evening. Ample time will be left for audience questions about Vandermark’s working process as composer, improvisor, and bandleader. 5 PM to 7 PM ---------- 7:30 PM Show (Doors @ 7:15pm) Set 1: Mabel Kwan + Juan García duo First-time free improvisations between two acclaimed artists investigating the peripheries of contemporary classical, improvised, and experimental music. Mabel Kwan - piano Juan García - double bass Set 2: Ken Vandermark Texas Ensemble Ken Vandermark will present new compositions exploring distinct melodic, rhythmic and architectural strategies for improvisers. Vandermark will work with Texas musicians Jonathan Horne (guitar, Austin), Matthew Frerck (double bass, Denton), and Stefan González (drumset, Denton) in a debut collaboration. --------- 10 PM Show (Doors @ 9:45pm) The music of Fred Anderson + Dennis González The music of legendary musician Fred Anderson, a founding member of the AACM and a mentor for numerous musicians, is rarely heard outside of Chicago. Vandermark was fortunate enough to work with Anderson on a regular basis, record an album of his compositions with the DKV Trio, as well as feature Anderson as a guest soloist on the Territory Band album, Collide (2007). Vandermark will present a selection of Fred Anderson's pieces in a trio with North Texas musicians Stefan González and Matthew Frerck. Adding to the evening's music, the trio will perform selections of music from Dallas' pioneering trumpeter, artist and educator Dennis González. González established the Dallas Association for Avant-Garde and Neo Impressionistic Music (daagnim) in the late 1970s, at the suggestion of Anthony Braxton and Art Lande. The daagnim organization, which functioned both as a group of musicians and as a record label, was based on and named after Chicago's AACM. Dennis' son, drummer and vibraphonist Stefan González, will present selections of his father's music heavily influenced by his work with Chicago colleagues Malachi Favors and Alvin Fielder (via MIssissippi), among others. Ken Vandermark - tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet Matthew Frerck - double bass Stefan González - drumset 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. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Sweet Megg! Sweet Megg - Vocals Daniel Dufour - Drums Jacob Wise - Guitar Ryan Hagler - Bass Sweet Megg returns to Monks this May 31st for an unforgettable night of jazz standards. Accompanied by her stellar 4-piece band, Megg transports her audience through the rich traditions of jazz, blending the soulful blues of Billie Holiday with the swinging rhythms of Anita O'Day. Known for her deep emotional resonance and dynamic vocal delivery, Sweet Megg has become a favorite among jazz enthusiasts for her ability to reinterpret classic tunes with a modern flair while staying true to their roots. 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.