Monks Livestream's Upcoming Shows

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Margaret Slovak "For The Moment" Vinyl Release!

Margaret Slovak – Guitar

Terry Bowness – Piano

Chris Maresh – Bass

Masumi Jones – Drums

Originally from Denver, Colorado, guitarist and composer Margaret Slovak moved to Austin, Texas in 2012 from New York City. She received her BFA in Music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington, and studied with guitarists Ralph Towner, John Abercrombie, and Dale Bruning. Margaret has performed throughout the US, Canada and Europe, and has played and/or recorded with Fred Hersch, Michael Formanek, Michael Sarin, Harvie S, Art Lande, Bob Moses, Gary Versace, Masumi Jones, Chris Maresh, and Terry Bowness.

Margaret has released four CDs featuring her original compositions, including For the Moment, which was

recorded in NYC in 1989 with pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Michael Sarin; it was released on CD in 2007. In 2024, Margaret released her 5th CD, a winter solstice album with bassist Chris Maresh, A Star’s Light Does Fall. Her music has received worldwide airplay and has been used in several documentary films. In addition to public performances, Margaret plays for patients in cancer treatment centers, hospitals, and hospice. Margaret was also included in Scott Yanow’s 2013 book The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide.

Quote about For the Moment: “Recorded in 1989 with pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Michael Sarin, this previously unreleased gem showcases guitarist Margaret Slovak’s delicate, deliberate lines, warm tone and lyrical touch along with her painterly compositional style.” –Bill Milkowski, JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE: January 2009

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Mike Sailors Big Band!

Saxophones:

Seth Carper, Matt Chavez, Joel Frahm, Eric Hargett, and Ripley Swingle

Trumpets:

Matt Collins, Isaac Pittinger, Mike Sailors, and Jonah Springs

Trombones:

Judah Guerra, Kevin Hrabak, Jacob Martinez, and Demetrius Thornton

Rhythm Section:

Aidan Berg, Jakob Hartz, and Mati Soto

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.

This programming is supported in part by The Live Music Society.

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the David Chao Quartet!

David Chao – Piano

Eric Hargett – Saxophone

Daniel Sanchez – Drums

TBA – Bass

David is a composer and jazz pianist based in Austin, Texas. Tonight's performance debuts compositions that highlight each of the members of the band in turn - for the audience in this moment and in this room. These shows are part of a series David is presenting throughout 2026, culminating in an EP release featuring the most compelling pieces in 2027.

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for First Light Trio | Send off for Sam! Celebrate Austin's favorite Capricorn and Comedian (we hear top-call bassist is somewhere on the resume as well), Samuel Tate Pankey, as he prepares to head west for a little town called Los Angeles.

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 is compromised 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.

Every Wednesday, Monks opens the stage up for a late-night jazz jam hosted by Austin's very own Daniel Dufour.

This livestream is free and open for public viewership!

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Jessica Healey | Back Again!

Chase Baird – Sax, piano, EWI

Gerry Gibbs – Drums

Tommy Howard – Guitar

James Suter – Bass

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert with Jess Healey, performing a set of original songs completely rearranged for a live jazz band. Jess is a singer-songwriter writing at the crossroads of folk and jazz, with a pop writer’s sensibility for a hook. She is a 2024 SXSW showcase artist, 2025 Austin Live Music Grant Winner, and a 2026 Sonic Guild Showcase Artist. Her music—which you can find on all streaming platforms—draws comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Becca Stevens, and Madison Cunningham.