Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Wayne Salzmann II Quartet! Justin Vasquez - Tenor Saxophone Andy Langham - Piano Chris Maresh - Bass Wayne Salzmann II - Drums Wayne Salzmann II is a Drummer, Educator, Author, and Composer who has toured/recorded extensively with Grammy winning guitarist Eric Johnson. He has performed/recorded with Steve Miller, Kenny Rogers, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Satriani, Christopher Cross, Mike Stern, Robben Ford, Oz Noy, Chris Potter, Dick Oatts, San Antonio Symphony, and many others. His recording credits include a Billboard no. 1 Jazz record, a Billboard no. 1 Blues record, and feature film soundtracks. Salzmann was the Drum Set Instructor at the University of Texas at Austin from 2010-2022 and has given clinics and masterclasses worldwide. His book Developing Melodic Language on the Drums has received high acclaim from Peter Erskine, Ed Soph, Carl Allen, John Riley, and Modern Drummer Magazine. His compositions and arrangements can be heard on recordings with his jazz quartet and six-piece funk band, Wayne Salzmann’s Groove Society. He is an Artist/Clinician for DW Drums, Pedals, & Hardware, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth Drumsticks. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Progger! Brian Donohoe - Saxophone/Keyboard Matt Muehling - Guitar Ryan Hagler - Bass Charles Reid III - Drums What began as a jam session at a rehearsal space in Austin has become an international collection of gifted musicians whose captivating live performances and studio releases have garnered acclaim from fans and publications around the world. Progger is held together by a passion for music that balances sophisticated harmony and melody with visceral beats and riffs. Through four critically-acclaimed releases and live tours supporting acts like Parliament/Funkadelic, Snarky Puppy, and the Funky Knuckles, Progger has developed an international following of devoted fans. Despite the inevitable cancellations caused by the world-changing Covid-19 pandemic, Progger’s constituent members began working with a staggering variety of prominent artists across numerous genres. The likes of Bruno Mars, Jon Batiste, Janelle Monáe, the Black Pumas, Kool and the Gang, and the Kill Tony Show have been keeping various Progger people quite busy. Nonetheless, the band will be rehearsing and performing its piles of new music throughout late 2024 in eager anticipation of producing its fifth album. This show is presented by and supported in part by the Austin Live Music Fund. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Andy Boutot and the Big Night Band! Andy Boutot - Vocals Steven Vague - Tenor Saxophone Tommy Howard - Guitar Ross Margitza - Keys Chris Jones - Bass Mike Gordon - Drums Andy Boutot and Big Night is a highly acclaimed Austin-based Jazz and Blues band that offers a unique mixture of true talent, soulful energy, and polish. With a faithful and growing following, Big Night captivates audiences with musicianship, effortless style, and a singer with a smooth, rich, soulful voice that can flow over you like honey or powerfully soar and take you out of your seat. Andy and Big Night call upon an eclectic and meticulously crafted music library that mixes jazz standards made famous by artists like Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, Louis Jordan, and Chet Baker, and Blues and Soul tunes made famous by Ray Charles, Etta James, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Taj Mahal, Freddie King, Bonnie Raitt, Little Walter, Bill Withers, and George Benson. Big Night is a bridge between the old world and new world. Their passion, versatility, and talent will delight you. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for NOW Jazz Orchestra | Austin’s Vanguard of Contemporary Big Band Jazz! Paulo Santos - Saxophone Justin Vasquez - Saxophone Dan Thomas - Saxophone Chris Cermak - Trumpet Steve Butts - Trumpet Sparky Thomason - Trumpet Santana Rojas - Trumpet Javier Stuppard - Trombone Paul Deemer - Trombone Aaron Garcia - Trombone Ben Irom - Piano Glen Rexatch - Guitar Billy Satterwhite - Bass Mike Gordon - Drums The NOW Jazz Orchestra is an innovative 18-piece ensemble based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of modern jazz through original compositions and bold arrangements. Directed by Dr. John Vander Gheynst, the orchestra features some of Central Texas's most accomplished musicians, many of whom are active educators and performers in the region. Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of jazz traditions—ranging from modern swing to avant-garde expressions—the orchestra's repertoire is a dynamic fusion of styles. Compositions by band members and national composers infuse the ensemble's performances with a fresh and distinctive sound. This approach not only showcases the creative talents within the group but also contributes to the evolution of contemporary jazz. The NOW Jazz Orchestra regularly performs at renowned Austin venues such as the Elephant Room, providing audiences with an opportunity to experience the cutting edge of jazz in an intimate setting. Their performances are characterized by intricate arrangements, virtuosic solos, and a palpable sense of camaraderie among the musicians. Through their innovative programming and commitment to artistic excellence, the NOW Jazz Orchestra plays a vital role in the performing of this rewarding music. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Beat Divas! Mady Kaye - Vocals Beth Ullman - Vocals Dianne Donovan - Vocals Andy Langham - Piano Ryan Hagler - Bass Stephen Summer - Drums Mady Kaye, Beth Ullman and Dianne Donovan are the ebullient Beat Divas. Three remarkable voices in tight harmony romp through American jazz and pop with a joie de vivre and vocal abandon rarely heard. Sexy, sassy and swingin', their repertoire includes original works, jazz standards and the best of American pop music jazzed up. From bebop to pop-gone-salsa, their song styling is totally refreshing. The Divas' original songs about food, which they include in their cooking classes at Central Market Cooking School, are delicious and hilarious. Mady Kaye, Divas' bandleader, is a 2024 inductee into the Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame. This year marks fifty years in the Austin music scene for Ms. Kaye, from performing to bandleading, studio vocal production, vocal coaching, songwriting and arranging. The Austin Chronicle's Critic's Picks named her the best professional voice instructor in Austin. Mady and Beth write the Beat Divas' original material and arrangements. Beth Ullman is back in Austin after almost thirty years on the commercial music faculty at McLennan Community College in Waco, where she was an instructor of voice and vocal ensemble, a vocal arranger and accompanist (she's an amazing pianist). The Divas are thrilled she's in town again! Her most recent recording of all-original compositions, "We've Got Tonight," was released on Aardvark Records to wide acclaim. Dianne Donovan, a Montreal-born jazz vocalist, has a voice you already know as queen of the classical airwaves, host of Midday Oasis on KMFA Classical Radio 89.5 FM. She is also host and producer of "Classical Austin," and continues to produce a weekly vocal jazz show, "Voices in Jazz" for CKUA Radio in Edmonton, Canada. She has interviewed jazz greats from Bobby McFerrin to Shirley Horn. Dianne's luscious voice provides the perfect low end to the Beat Divas' harmonies. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Brazilian Jazz Night | Malone & Friends! Michael Malone - Saxophone Sofia Kriger - Vocals Sander Pinheiro - Guitar Ciriaco Isma - Bass Michael Longoria - Drums Michael Malone, a Cleveland, Ohio native, is a world-renowned saxophonist and composer. Michael's resume includes a five-year stint touring with legendary jazz organist Jimmy Smith, as well as dates with Cindy Blackmon, guitarist Mark Whitfield, and steel drummer Othello Molineaux. In addition to touring Europe and Asia with his own group Just Released, Michael was also a member and composer in the award-winning Austin-based group Blaze. A Resident of Austin, Texas, he leads The Michael Malone Quintet, works extensively with jazz organist extraordinaire Red Young, and plays frequently with Austin vocalist Pamela Hart. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Sahara Quartet | Vinyl Release Show! Jesse Ebaugh - Double Bass Damien Valenzuela - Saxophones Danny Kerner - Guitar Steve Mankenberg - Drums The Sahara Quartet rides the line between “free” jazz and post bop, exploring that zone between composition and improvisation as defined by players like Ornette Coleman, Pharaoh Sanders, Steve Lacy, Dewey Redman, or Sonny Sharrock. The Quartet keeps one foot in the blues while playing tunes written by members Jesse Ebaugh and Damien Valenzuela, defining a space that is musically modern primitive, at times outsider, and a toast to the traditional. The group formed, and takes it’s name, from a once a month jam at the Sahara Lounge in Austin, Texas. Mankenberg has been on the jazz and improvised scene in Austin for many years, and Ebaugh is a multi genre musician who works in rock and country and leads a band called The Tender Things. Kerner and Valenzuela are both from Las Cruces, New Mexico and migrated to Austin by way of Chicago to immerse themselves in the scene and are members of multiple bands like Zoumountchi, Sahara All Stars and Cazayoux. Come celebrate the release of the first recordings from The Sahara Quartet. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Chase Baird/Will Brahm Quartet! Chase Baird - Saxophone Will Brahm - Guitar Ryan Hagler - Bass Adam Jackson - Drums About Chase Baird: Part experimental rocker, part classical romantic, and part hard-bop devotee, saxophonist and composer Chase Baird has been hailed by Grammy-winner Randy Brecker as “the future of jazz music and the saxophone.” His latest album A Life Between features jazz luminaries Brad Mehldau and Antonio Sánchez alongside rising stars Nir Felder and Dan Chmielinski, earning praise as an “epic recording complete with progressive singularities and sonic cosmicalities.” Baird has toured and recorded widely, collaborating with icons across genres—from Chaka Khan and Jakob Dylan to Chris Botti, Mike Stern, Victor Wooten, and Thana Alexa. He was also a key member of Antonio Sánchez’s band Migration and a founding contributor to the progressive jazz ensemble Venture. Raised between Seattle, Salt Lake City, and California, Baird picked up the saxophone at age ten and was mentored early on by Michael Brecker. He studied at California State University Long Beach and The Juilliard School, where he honed both jazz and classical technique. Alongside his work as a saxophonist, Baird plays EWI with the synth-forward group Circuit Kisser and collaborates on guitar with his sister Christine Baird’s band, Rocky Mountain Soul. When not on the road, he’s based in Austin, Texas, continuing to push genre boundaries with his emotionally expansive and technically fearless approach to music. About Will Brahm: Hailing from Portland Oregon and receiving a guitar in 8th grade, Will Brahm immediately began channeling his love for music through the guitar. After high school he moved to Southern California, earning a Bachelors degree in Jazz Guitar performance from Cal State Long Beach where he studied with jazz guitar extraordinaire Ron Eschete. After college he began touring with The New West Guitar Group, skyrocketing his musical technique and stamina. In 2019 he released his acoustic ensemble album “Venture Atlas." Next he joined world renowned Jazz Trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval band, touring domestic and abroad. Soon after competed as a semifinalist in the 2019 Herbie Hancock International Jazz Guitar Competition, performing for his idols including Guitarist Pat Metheny. This era ushered Will into new musical demands as both a jazz guitar aficionado, and a front-and-center electric player on stages bigger and louder than ever before. In this moment, Will finally began bridging all of the facets of his passionate musical self into one singular instrument and unmistakable sound: the Fender Stratocaster. Will's music evokes the captivating melodic delivery of guitarists like Jeff Beck, paired with the lush emotional and harmonically complex soundscapes of bands like Pat Metheny Group. This is demonstrated on his newest album “Distance to Empty” (2025). Will lives in Los Angeles and tours domestically and abroad. He composes daily and lives a life full of and inside of the music.