Monks Jazz Club's Upcoming Shows

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for First Light Trio: McQueen/Pankey/Thompson!

Chris McQueen – Guitar

Sam Pankey – Bass

Kyle Thompson – Drums

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.

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 7:15pm, Show at 7:30pm.

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: Austin Jazz Legends | A Celebration of Four Years of Midweek at Monks!

Pamela Hart – Vocals

Mady Kaye – Vocals

Ephraim Owens – Trumpet

Jon Blondell – Trombone

Mike Mordecai – Trombone

Elias Haslanger – Saxophone

Mitch Watkins – Guitar

Red Young – Piano

Hank Hehmsoth – Piano

Roscoe Beck – Bass

Stephen Summer – Drums

– Hosted by Rabbi Neil Blumofe

This June 10th, come join us as we celebrate four years of incredible partnership with the Austin Jazz Society. Featuring local legends of the Austin Jazz Community, this night is not to be missed!

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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 7:15pm, Show at 7:30pm.

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Mark Scott Trio!

Mark Scott – Guitar

James Suter – Bass

Daniel Dufour – Drums

Austin-based guitarist, composer, and educator Mark Scott III is a sophisticated voice in the modern jazz guitar tradition, recognized for his "quiet confidence" and "narrative logic" (Brice Boorman). His debut album, Soft Light, reached #60 on the Roots Music Report Top 100 Jazz Albums chart and earned praise from legendary critic Scott Yanow as "a very impressive debut." Grounded in the lineage of Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell, Scott’s playing balances technical mastery with a "less is more" philosophy. Currently a faculty member at Tarleton State University, Scott holds degrees from the University of North Texas and UT Austin, bridging the gap between jazz heritage and contemporary innovation.

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 7:15pm, Show at 7:30pm.

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Joel Frahm Quartet!

Joel Frahm – Saxophone

Bruce Saunders – Guitar

James Suter – Bass

Daniel Dufour – Drums

Born in Racine, Wisconsin in 1969, saxophonist Joel Frahm began his musical journey with classical piano and bassoon before switching to tenor saxophone at 14. After his family moved to Hartford, Connecticut, he joined the city’s high school jazz program, where he first met pianist Brad Mehldau. Frahm went on to study at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and later earned a B.A. in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music. Quickly establishing himself in New York's jazz scene, he performed with top musicians including Matt Wilson, David Berkman, Maynard Ferguson, Betty Carter, and Pat Martino.

Frahm has become known for his stylistic versatility, strong improvisational voice, and skill in supporting vocalists. His collaborations span generations, including artists like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ingrid Jensen, Diane Schuur, and Jane Monheit. His 2004 duo album Don’t Explain with Brad Mehldau received critical acclaim for its inventive interplay. Since then, Frahm has released multiple albums as a leader, contributed to over 100 recordings, and played on Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning albums by Freddy Cole, Dafnis Prieto, and Mehldau. A dedicated educator, Frahm now teaches at Texas State University, where he is developing a sought-after saxophone program.

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 7:15pm, Show at 7:30pm

Second Show: Doors at 9:15pm, Show at 9:30pm

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Bidwell/Mooney Quartet!

Davy Mooney – Guitar

Brian Donohoe – Saxophone

James Suter – Bass

Stephen Bidwell – Drums

About Stephen Bidwell:

Stephen Bidwell was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in the Virginia suburbs. Since first being handed drumsticks in the late 80s he has studied and lived in West Virginia, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and New York but has called Austin, Texas home since 2005. Somewhere in those travels, he earned a Bachelors’s degree in classical percussion (two of them actually) and a Master’s degree in Jazz studies. Since early 2018 he has been the drummer for the Grammy-nominated Black Pumas, a psychedelic soul group known for incendiary live shows. When not on tour with Black Pumas, Stephen plays in several diverse projects (Hard Proof, The Calm Blue Sea, Azmaris, Mood Illusion), works in any genre you can think of as a sideman and teaches lessons at his home studio.

About Davy Mooney:

Davy Mooney is a jazz guitarist from New Orleans, a recording artist for Sunnyside Records, and an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, where he leads the jazz guitar program and teaches advanced improvisation. He has released eight albums as a leader, including Way Back (2022), recorded in Brazil with saxophonist John Ellis and a Brazilian rhythm section. His other Sunnyside releases, such as Davy Mooney and the Hope of Home Band Live at National Sawdust (2020), Benign Strangers (2018), Hope of Home (2017), and Perrier St (2012), often feature esteemed collaborators like Brian Blade, Jon Cowherd, and Matt Clohesy. Mooney has toured extensively across the U.S. and internationally in Brazil, Japan, China, Mexico, Peru, and Myanmar and has authored two instructional books on jazz guitar, Personalizing Jazz Vocabulary (2019) and Into the Labyrinth (2022). He holds a PhD in jazz performance from NYU, with a dissertation analyzing the early 1960s work of Joe Pass.

Mooney placed third in the 2005 Thelonious Monk International Guitar Competition and studied at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, where he worked with legends like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Ron Carter. After earning his Master’s Degree at the University of New Orleans in 2005, Mooney moved to New York City post-Katrina, performing at venues such as the 55 Bar and The Blue Note. He recorded the duo album Last Train Home (2006) with John Pizzarelli and Astoriano (2007) for Japan’s LateSet Records. Also an author, Mooney has self-published two novels: Hometown Heroes (2012) and Annalee (2017).

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 7:15pm, Show at 7:30pm.

Second Show: Doors at 9:15pm, Show at 9:30pm.