Monks Livestream's Upcoming Shows
Sat, Sep 12
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Alex Claffy Quartet!
Alex Claffy – Bass
Diego Rivera – Tenor Saxophone
George Colligan – Piano
Daniel Dufour – Drums
At age 34, bassist Alexander Claffy has become one of the most in-demand performers of his generation, both as a sideman working with the biggest names in Jazz and Popular music, and also as a bandleader, composer and producer having just released his seventh album as a leader “Alive in Philadelphia, Vol 1 ” in spring 2026 with legends Seamus Blake, Kevin Hays, Bill Stewart and Jaleel Shaw. Living in New York City but born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Claffy is one of the bright new artists in his hometown’s storied lineage, following in the footsteps of Philadelphia bass luminaries such as Christian McBride, Percy Heath and Jimmy Garrison.
His resumé as a sideman reads as a veritable who’s who of Jazz royalty, ranging from Jazz masters such as George Coleman, Harold Mabern, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Cobb, George Cables, Wallace Roney, Mike LeDonne, Fred Hersch, Victor Lewis, and Louis Hayes, to the top stars of today such as Brad Mehldau, Nicholas Payton, Christian Adjtunde Adjuah, Kevin Hays, Benny Green, Carl Allen, Aaron Parks, Seamus Blake and Kurt Rosenwinkel - the latter of which he’s appeared with five times at Village Vanguard since the Summer of 2022. His work in more Pop settings with the likes of trumpet icon Chris Botti, guitar icon Steve Miller, the genre-bending songstress Veronica Swift and breakout Hamilton star vocalist Leslie Odom Jr. prove his versatility as a bassist and musician know no bounds.
When he’s not touring the world headlining major Jazz festivals and clubs, Claffy can be found in any of the top venues in New York City’s decorated Jazz scene such as Birdland, the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, JazzCultural, SMOKE and Smalls, as well as frequent trips back to Philadelphia, where he is committed to enriching and enlivening his hometown scene as well. In his spare time he’s an avid vinyl collector, has a voracious appetite for podcasts and the greats of stand-up comedy, as well as his dedication to his work as a clinician and teacher, hosting a private studio of bass students as well as adjunct work at his alma mater, the New School of Jazz, Jazz House Kids, and the Tribeca Jazz Institute.
Sun, Sep 13
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Sarah Sharp Quintet
Sarah Sharp – Quintet
Mitch Watkins – Guitar
Joao Camargo – Piano
John Fremgen – Bass
Masumi Jones – Drums
Enthusiastic accolades have followed Sarah Sharp through her career including multiple awards for her singing and songwriting. The self-produced album “Phoebe’s Dream,” with then-band Jitterbug Vipers, earned Sharp Top 5 placements in Austin Music Awards categories for Best Female Vocalist, Producer, Songwriter, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Band of the Year, and Best Jazz Band. Sarah also was a (two times, once with Jitterbug Vipers, and once as Sarah) top recipient of the Black Fret Award (now Sonic Guild) from the organization supporting “the creation and performance of extraordinary new music.”“It’s so clear that the music you create is so inspired by your environment,” says NPRs Michael Feinstein. Of her song “Trouble,” Feinstein adds, “That is the kind of song that has such a classic quality to it and it’s a song that could have been written a long time ago, and yet it speaks so much to the world now, and I think it will speak to people whenever it’s heard.”
Tue, Sep 15
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Kelly Doyle x Stephen Bidwell!
Kelly Doyle – Guitar
Billy Satterwhite – Bass
Stephen Bidwell – Drums
About Kelly Doyle:
Kelly Doyle is a Houston, TX based guitar virtuoso whose work bridges the gap between experimental ambient explorations and high precision technical forays. Cutting his teeth as a side man for many world-touring musicians, Doyle has meticulously honed his craft on stages across the globe. He is prominently featured on Khruangbin’s Late Night Tales compilation, which has introduced his playing to an even wider audience.
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.
Wed, Sep 16
Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Juan Lara Sextet!
Juan Lara – Alto Saxophone
Isaac Pittenger – Trumpet
Kevin Hrabak – Trombone
João Camargo – Piano
Miguel Rodriguez – Bass
Matías Soto – Drums
Originating from El Paso, TX — Juan Fabricio Lara is a member of an exciting generation of young musicians that have taken the central Texas music scene by storm. Lara is an alto/baritone saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator based in the Austin area. Juan regularly collaborates with both established mentors of his scene as well as other young luminaries of the scene such as Kevin Hrabak and Aidan Berg.
Drawing inspiration from greats such as Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, Pepper Adams, Charles Mingus, and Duke Ellington, Juan values tradition above everything in his playing. Mentored by Andrew Gould and Steven Feifke, Lara has been band leading since he was 15 years old, and has shared the stage with names such as Mike Sailors, Andre Hayward, Elias Haslinger, Kris Kimura, and Abel Mireles.
