Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for FORQ! Henry Hey – Keys Chris McQueen – Guitar Eli Menezes – Bass Jason ‘JT’ Thomas – Drums Forq creates at the crossroads of infectious grooves, ear-bending harmony, and melodies that stick with you like gum on your shoe long after the show ends. A group of world-class improvisers, the band showcases musical finesse through a treasure trove of delectably genre-bending songs. Forq’s lineup is stacked with high-caliber players: originally founded by keyboardist Henry Hey (David Bowie, Empire of the Sun, Jeff "Tain" Watts) and bassist Michael League (Grammy-winning leader of Snarky Puppy), Forq has evolved to include guitarist Chris McQueen (Snarky Puppy, Bokanté) or guitarist Jordan Peters (Jon Batiste, Bokanté, Lauryn Hill), drummer Jason "JT" Thomas (Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, Mark Lettieri Trio), and bassist Eli Menezes (Richard Bona, Lauryn Hill, Meshell N’degeocello). 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Mara Kaye feat. Mike Sailors! Mara Kaye – Vocals Mike Sailors – Trumpet Ross Margitza – Piano Ryan Hagler – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums About Mara Kaye: Bred and buttered in Brooklyn, powerhouse vocalist Mara Kaye is what Jazz Lives calls “one of New York’s great gifts to the world.” With a voice described as “Louis Armstrong’s trumpet at a rent party” (Jimmy Vivino, Conan O’Brien Show), she moves effortlessly between vintage jazz, blues, and hip-hop, lending her smoky swagger to rap legend AZ’s track “Never Enough,” featuring Rick Ross. Her debut single, a stirring rendition of “It Had to Be You” featuring roots piano icon Carl Sonny Leyland, is on steady rotation on KJazz 88.1 FM, and her original song “Dystopian Blues” was featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show and performed live on CBS News. Mara’s raw, timeless voice has filled legendary venues from Jazz at Lincoln Center and Smalls in NYC to The Green Mill in Chicago and the streets of New Orleans. She created and performed the role of chanteuse Marion Rhodes in the immersive Off-Broadway show Sleep No More and was an original cast member in Broadway Asia’s SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical. She’s shared stages with blues greats like Joe Bonamassa, Jontavious Willis, and Jimmy Vivino, and early in her career toured with the Yerba Buena Stompers, led by her mentor John Gill—playing alongside musicians who once backed up Louis Armstrong himself. About Mike Sailors: Mike Sailors has performed around the world in venues such as the Blue Note (New York, Tokyo, and Sapporo locations), Ronnie Scott’s, Porgy and Bess, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Jazz Standard, Smalls Jazz Club, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center; and has appeared at the Montreal, Detroit, EFG London, and Tokyo Blue Note Jazz Festivals. He has also been an active musician in Broadway orchestras, most notably as the Music Director of Sleep No More. In addition to leading the Mike Sailors Nonet, once dubbed "an all-star outfit" by the New York Times, he has performed as a sideman with the Birdland Big Band, the Hot Sardines, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. An active composer and arranger, Mike has written for such luminaries as Dewey Redman, Dick Oatts, Sean Jones, Jimmy Cobb, and Peter Bernstein. He has composed and recorded music for numerous commercial campaigns, as well as for TV and Film – most recently for the Netflix original series, Cannon Busters. Sailors is also a performing artist/educator with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Let Freedom Swing educational program, is a copyist and editor for the Essentially Ellington jazz program, and currently serves as the Professor of Jazz Trumpet at University of Texas at Austin. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Tito Carrillo Quintet feat. Joel Frahm! Tito Carrillo – Trumpet Joel Frahm – Tenor Saxophone Chris VIllanueva – Piano Sam Pankey – Bass Gerry Gibbs – Drums Tito Carrillo is a trumpeter, composer, and educator whose music blurs the lines between Afro-Caribbean music traditions and modern jazz. Born and raised in Austin to a Puerto Rican father and Mexican-American mother, Carrillo came to prominence in the mid-90’s in Chicago’s rich jazz and Latin music scenes, becoming a top call soloist, bandleader, and freelance trumpet artist. The Chicago Tribune describes him as having “acquired a reputation as a fluid improviser, doubly blessed with a warm lyric style and technique to burn.” The artists he has collaborated with are as diverse as his skill set: Chicago heavyweights Willie Pickens, Ryan Cohan, and Geof Bradfield; Chicago Latin groups Chinchano (Juan Pastor) and the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble (Victor Garcia); big bands such as the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and the Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra (David Baker); salsa legends Andy Montañez, Cheo Feliciano, and Cuban flutist Orlando “Maraca” Valle; jazz greats such as Kurt Elling, Claudio Roditi, Jon Faddis, and Paquito D’Rivera; and pop icons Quincy Jones and Phil Collins. Carrillo released his debut solo album in 2011, entitled Opening Statement (Origin Records), to rave reviews. His most recent project Urbanessence (Origin Records), was released in October 2022 to much critical acclaim, and was selected as one of the top Latin music albums of 2023 by the North American College and Community (NACC) Radio Chart. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Ricky Alexander | The Ragology Tour! Ricky Alexander – Clarinet Shane Dickens – Piano Daniel Durham – Bass Colin Hancock – Drums On tour from NYC, Ricky Alexander brings his swinging clarinet to Monks to celebrate the release of his fourth album - Ragology (Turtle Bay Records). This album celebrates the roots of New Orleans jazz, and follows ragtime's influence on the jazz that came after it. Ricky will be joined by Grammy nominated Colin Hancock on drums, Austin's rising piano star Shane Dickens, as well as others. The album itself features Grammy award winning Conal Fowkes on piano, and banjo star Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton. This will be an unforgettable night, be sure not to miss it! With a career spanning over a decade, Alexander – also an equally talented saxophonist – has established himself as a prominent figure on New York’s jazz scene and beyond through his accomplishments as a recording artist, teacher, bandleader and performing musician. In addition to appearing as a featured soloist on over 30 albums, he has played in numerous TV commercials, films, and television productions, including a commercial for Jet Blue, Universal Pictures’ film “Bros” and others. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Eli Menezes Quartet! Eli Menezes – Guitar Sam Howden – Trumpet Matt Weatherly – Bass JJ Johnson – Drums Eli Menezes is a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer based out of Austin and New York City. His talent began at the early age of 12 while playing guitar, bass and keyboards in church and local bands in Rio de Janeiro. Since moving to NYC in the Spring of 2000 he’s been to over 60 countries and has worked with a diverse spectrum of artists and musicians from every style such as: Lauryn Hill, Richard Bona, Rita Ora, Faith Evans, Common, Ashanti, Estelle, Thalia, Fred Hammond and David Bisbal among many others. Eli currently lives in Austin, TX and is deeply involved in the Austin recording and live music scene where he often plays with Austin based artists such as David Grissom, Andrea Magee, JoJames, The Kill Tony Band, Gina Chavez and also FORQ from Snarky Puppy’s ground up music label. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: Lis Morphis Quartet! Liz Morphis – Vocals JD Pendley – Guitar Phill Spencer – Bass Chris Sensat – Drums Liz Morphis has been singing her fabulous, ever-growing mix of Jazz standards to Austin for over twenty years. Her Violet Crown Revue have been together for at least fifteen of those, playing regularly at the Elephant Room and Evangeline Cafe, to name a couple of venues. Mellow, energetic, soothing, stimulating, top-notch vocal and guitar-based swing is what you can expect when you give this fabulous quartet a listen. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Yayennings Quartet! Yayennings – Trumpet Chris McQueen – Guitar Daniel Foose – Bass Adam Jackson – Drums Yayennings is a 4X Grammy winning artist. He began playing trumpet in the small town of Grapevine, Texas at age 11 and became a professionally presentable trumpet player by age 15. Known for his work with jazz supergroup Snarky Puppy, Yayennings lives in Los Angeles, CA and teaches at Occidental College as an adjunct trumpet professor and ensemble leader. Yayennings has had a fruitful career backing up some of the world’s finest artists such as Aretha Franklin, Michael McDonald, David Crosby, David Bowie, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Four Tops, and many more. Upon his move from NYC to Los Angeles in February of 2017, Jennings began composing for his own band, The Yayennings Quartet. He has two studio albums under his own name, Yayennings, and you can find both of them on all digital streaming platforms. His latest album "Yayennings Vol. 2" is available for purchase on a 12 inch vinyl record. Yayennings is a GroundUp Music Artist and plays Yamaha trumpets and Denis Wick mouthpieces and mutes. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Andre Hayward Quartet! Personnel TBA Andre Hayward is a trombone player based in Austin, Texas. His sound and clarity are reminiscent of the late J.J. Johnson. Born in Houston in 1973, Hayward’s first exposure to music was through his parents, Melvin and Barbara Hayward. He began playing trombone and tuba at the age of 11. He attended HSPVA, and continued to hone his skills with Houston’s legendary educator Conrad O. Johnson. He has recorded or performed with Betty Carter, Roy Hargrove, Joe Williams, John Lewis, Kirk Whalum, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and many others. Hayward toured as lead trombonist with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Curtis Taylor Quartet! Curtis Taylor – Trumpet Dayne Reliford – Piano Jeremy George – Bass Alex White – Drums Curtis Taylor is an award-winning trumpeter, performer, composer, recording artist, and educator. Growing up in Bedford, Ohio, he began playing the trumpet at an early age. Inspired by concerts he attended while in middle and high school, Taylor committed to a career in Jazz, honing his craft under the tutelage of his mentors at Michigan State and Rutgers University. Taylor‘s artistry has graced many stages worldwide. From iconic venues like the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Apollo Theater & Dizzy’s Club in New York City, to international festivals like The North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands and the San Javier Jazz Festival in Spain. He has also performed and recorded with numerous acclaimed artists, such as Billy Childs, James Carter, John Clayton, Patrice Rushen, Rodney Whitaker, Ed Motta, and Cyrus Chestnut. Notably, his work on Gregory Porter's Grammy Award-winning album "Liquid Spirit" earned him high praise. As a leader, he has recorded three albums, and his current release TAYLOR MADE has earned rave reviews from various publications, including features in JAZZIZ and DOWNBEAT, two of the top music magazines in the world. His composition “Kham’s Dilemma” earned First Place in the Jazz category of the Unsigned Only International Music Competition. Taylor is also an active clinician and educator and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Iowa.