Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: Wilson Marks Quartet! Wilson Marks – Guitar Stephen Smith – Keyboards Sam Pankey – Bass Aaron Parks – Drums One of Austin’s finest little known troubadours- a songwriter’s songwriter. Playfully prodding the human condition with an idiosyncratic pop ingrained with folk and NOLA jazz instincts, the singer / guitarist / pianist tosses off tunes with that magic mixture of simplicity and gravity. Endlessly surprising. -Austin Chronicle Wilson Marks studied jazz in the city of New Orleans but is based in Austin Texas- His songs cross genres and often feature word play, alliterative turns of phrase, harmonic twists or furry chords- When not playing with his own trio, most often comprised of Josh Flowers (bass) and Aaron Parks (percussion), he works as a side-man for a variety of other projects in live or studio endeavors - including The McMercy family Band, Matt the Electrician, The Jitterbug Vipers, The Lonesome Heroes, Datri Bean Band, The Aaron Parks Project, Sarah Sharp, and more. He has 4 albums of original material streaming from the usual online musical spigots and one release from an ambient, or hambient side project under the moniker The Pig Loopowski. By day he teaches elementary general music in Hays CISD, seeing 920 students every seven days. ——— 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. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Aaron Parks Quintet! Gene Centeno – Saxophone Tommy Howard – Guitar Andy Langham – Piano James Suter – Bass Aaron Parks – Drums Born and raised in Houston, TX, Aaron Parks moved to Austin in 2005 to attend University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. A lifelong passion for drumming led him to take jazz combo classes and lessons from the jazz faculty. Ever since, Aaron has become an in-demand freelance drummer on the Austin music scene, performing with groups and artists in a wide range of styles and influences, including Andre Hayward, Gil Del Bosque, Paul Klemperer, Tommy Howard, Cat Clemons, Mente Clara, Wilson Marks, Bruce Saunders, Ben Balmer. In 2018, he released his debut album, Space Jazz. The 2020 sequel, Parks & Wreck, was recognized as one of The Austin Chronicle’s top 100 albums of the year. aaronparksdrums.com 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Seth Carper Quintet Seth Carper – Saxophones Adrian Ruiz – Trumpet Andy Langham – Piano James Suter – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums Making his return as a bandleader to the Austin jazz scene, Dr. Seth Carper brings his saxophone and a stellar band of old and new friends to Monks to perform his original compositions and inventive arrangements of jazz standards. Originally from a small farm in North Carolina, Seth has performed all over the world as a sideman and leader. He spent seven years in the central Texas jazz scene, co-founding the NOW Jazz Orchestra, teaching at Texas State University, and performing with a myriad of groups. After a five-year absence while teaching at Cornell, Syracuse and Binghamton Universities, Seth is excited to return to Texas State University to rejoin the jazz faculty and bring his music back to the Austin jazz community. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Bruce Saunders Quintet! Bruce Saunders – Guitar and Compositions Chase Baird – Tenor Saxophone Andre Hayward – Trombone James Suter – Bass Gerry Gibbs – Drums Bruce Saunders is a guitarist, composer and educator currently residing in Austin, TX. After receiving his Masters degree in jazz/classical guitar from the University of North Texas in 1986 he moved to New York City where he was a resident until late 2013. During his tenure in NY he recorded, performed and toured with some of the worlds best jazz musicians. Since moving to Austin he has played with many of the world class jazz musicians in the city and state. Saunders is currently a lecturer at the University of Texas/Austin’s Butler School of Music where he teaches private guitar lessons and a faculty member of Berklee’s Online University (BOL) where he developed and teaches two jazz guitar courses. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Julie Slim & Rendezvous! Julie Slim – Vocals Shawn Eillison – Piano Shirley Johnson – Accordion Chris Jones – Upright Bass Joe McCreary – Drums Julie Slim is an Austin-based Lebanese-Palestinian-American world jazz vocalist and actress, who has been in the Austin theater and music scene since 1996, when she was nominated for an I.B. Payne Acting Award for her work in the original children’s show, Deep in the Heart of Texas. In 1999, Julie created a duet Cabaret Act, Cabarageous, with friend and vocalist Donna Lipman, which was featured in the summer Zach Scott Cabaret Series. In 2009, Julie also formed the Arabic band, Layalina in collaboration with Sari Andoni (oud), specializing in classical and folk Arabic music, which was featured in a SXSW World Music showcase in 2010. Julie has been a lead vocalist and clinician for the Austin Jazz Workshop since 2001, spreading the love of jazz to children in elementary schools in and around Austin. She is a member of the Austin Threshold Choir, thresholdchoir.org, an international organization that provides comfort during life transitions through song. Beginning in November 2023, Julie has been a lead vocalist with the Viva Palestina Orchestra, featuring Palestinian music, raising awareness of Palestinian culture. On March 27, 2025, Viva Palestina Orchestra received a music proclamation declaring this day to be Viva Palestina Orchestra Day, during which the VPO performed one of our songs in the City Council Chambers. Since 2013, Julie and her band, Julie Slim & RendezVous, have been performing in and around Austin, creating community and bridging cultures while uplifting and touching audiences wherever they perform. The band specializes in reviving international jazz and pop standards from the early 20th century as well as featuring original songs composed by Shawn Ellison and Julie Slim. Julie Slim & RendezVous has held residencies at Skylark, Shore ATX, and Parker Jazz Club. Additionally, Julie Slim Duo with Shawn Ellison have a residency at Plate by Dzintra that is ongoing for over 4 years. Julie has self-produced several albums with RendezVous under the name Julie Slim, streaming wherever music lives. “Singing is musical storytelling that heals while opening the heart to new possibilities.” 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Zachary Finnegan's Timeless Quartet! Zachary Finnegan – Trumpet Dayne Reliford – Piano James Suter – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums Zachary Finnegan is a Chicago-based trumpeter, composer, and bandleader rapidly emerging as one of jazz’s most compelling new voices. Since joining Michael Bublé’s band in 2022, he has performed on five continents and on some of the world’s most iconic stages, including Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Opera House, London’s O2 Arena, Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, and São Paulo’s Allianz Parque. Praised for his “golden tone and excellent technical command” (All About Jazz), Finnegan has appeared on fourteen recordings, culminating in his debut solo album Guidance & Gratitude (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2024), which received widespread international acclaim. As the International Trumpet Guild noted, his compositions and improvisations display striking depth, maturity, and narrative clarity. Equally at home as a sideman, collaborator, and leader, Finnegan’s trumpet has been heard with artists and ensembles spanning electro-funk (KNOWER), modern jazz (Camila Mennitte Quintet/Chicago Freedom Ensemble), big band (Buddy Rich Big Band/Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra), jazz crooners (Sal Valentinetti/Hayden Grove/Myles Hayes) singer songwriter (Rosalba Valdez/Jack Greenwood), Iranian Pop (Shadmehr Aghili) and groove-based projects like Clint Breeze & The Groove. His bands have performed at premier U.S. venues including The Green Mill and Andy’s Jazz Club (Chicago), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), Café Coda (Madison), Mr. Tipple’s (San Francisco), Berlin (Minneapolis) & The Speakeasy at The Gin Mill (NYC). Festival highlights include headlining the Bull Falls Jazz Festival and Taste of Bloomington, and appearances at the Riverfront Jazz Festival; opening for Dave Liebman in 2017 and returning as a featured artist in 2024. A dedicated educator and mentor, Finnegan maintains a private studio, serves on faculty with PCCCArts in Chicago, leads residencies nationwide, and writes commissioned works for student ensembles. Rooted in tradition yet driven by curiosity, his voice bridges jazz, pop, funk, and orchestral worlds with clarity, warmth, and purpose. The Timeless Quintet pays homage to the greats while reimagining the canon for today’s audience. Their repertoire, featuring Zach's original works based off of the jazz lineage and arrangements of songs such as My Favorite Things, Invitation, When You Wish Upon a Star, and many more, showcases the ensemble’s ability to weave nostalgia and innovation into a seamless, captivating sound. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for First Light Trio | Pankey/Thompson Birthday Bonanza! Chris McQueen – Guitar Sam Pankey – Bass Kyle Thompson – Drums Celebrate the boys this Tuesday January 20th... our resident Capricorn (Pankey) and our household Aquarius (Thompson) are officially one year wiser (or at least older). Another trip around the sun, no casualties. 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. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for AJS Presents: The Indestructible Now! Joe Roddy – Piano Damien Valenzuela – Saxophones Danny Kerner – Guitar Jesse Ebaugh – Double Bass Jack Montesinos – Double Bass Steve Mankenberg – Drums Nico Léophonte – Drums The Indestructible Now! Is born of the marriage of two groups, the Sahara Quartet and the Eternal Now! 5tet. Sahara is a group that came out of the open free jams at the Sahara Lounge on Austin’s east side, curated by Damien Valenzuela. Here Valenzuela, Ebaugh, Kerner and Mankenberg found themselves coalescing as a group, and have been gigging around town for a few years with their own brand of free and composed post-bop. They have a second self produced LP slated for release on December 20th. Eternal Now is the moniker used by Austin instrumental greats The Point when they turn to improvised music. The two groups met in an East Austin studio, David Boyle’s Church House. In February of 2025 they recorded an amazing group of compositions and improvisations that are slated for a release sometime in the spring of 2026, to be titled Vox Cordis. These musicians are hard workers on the Austin scene… Ebaugh came out of the rock band Heartless Bastards to form his own country rock band the Tender Things, and is a journeyman bass player. Valenzuela is in the rising funk band Cazayoux, and along with Kerner, anchors the band at Sahara’s Africa Night. In addition to their band The Point, Roddy (a relative of Ted Roddy) and Montesinos are gigging country and blues musicians as well, as members of Cactus Lee, The Mellows and Sentimental Family Band. Nico Léophonte owns a renowned studio called Alnico Studios, and is producer of The Point’s first album. Mankenberg is a remarkable drummer with deep ties to the Austin jazz community. The group continues to evolve, and attract serious players, with a mission of creating something of deep spiritual value and essential humanity. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Bidwell/Marshall Quartet! Jaron Marshall – Piano Elias Haslanger – Saxophone Erik Telford – Trumpet Sam Pankey – Bass Stephen Bidwell – Drums Stephen Bidwell and Jaron Marshall have been anchoring the rhythm section of Austin’s Grammy-nominated psychedelic-soul juggernaut Black Pumas since the band’s meteoric rise in 2019. Outside the Pumas' world tour circuit, the two have long bonded over a mutual love of hard bop and funky early-'60s Blue Note cuts: music that grooves as hard as it swings. When their schedules align, they call up a few trusted players and put together a setlist that leans into the soulful side of the jazz canon. This project is a nod to their roots and a chance to stretch in a different direction with deep pocket, deep cuts, and no filler. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for The Austin Django Project | Annual Django Reinhardt Birthday Celebration! Jamey Cummins - Guitar Jake Harrell - Guitar Alen Cileli - Violin Phil Spencer -Bass Lead by Jamey Cummins, The Austin Django Project is a collective of Austin-based guitarists and string players. Honoring one of the greatest to ever do it, the collective brings to life the inspired work of the father of Gypsy Jazz, Django Reinhardt. 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the Elias Haslanger Quintet! An all original program, this show is not to be missed! Elias Haslanger – Tenor Saxophone Mike Sailors – Trumpet Ross Margitza – Piano Ryan Hagler – Bass Daniel Dufour – Drums Over the span of his 30-year music career, native Texan and Austin resident Elias Haslanger has carved a unique and distinguished place in jazz history as a saxophonist, composer, and band leader, whose playing and writing has drawn comparisons to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster, and Wayne Shorter. He has performed, recorded, and toured with many world-class artists including Ellis Marsalis, Maynard Ferguson, Christopher Cross, Charlie Hunter, Asleep at the Wheel, Alejandro Escovedo, Sheryl Crow, Grupo Fantasma, Spoon, The Four Tops, and The Temptations, among many others. Mentored by the legendary saxophonists Harvey Pittel and Dick Oatts, Elias studied saxophone at the University of Texas and then at the Manhattan School of Music. His interest in writing music culminated in a Master’s Degree in Composition at Texas State University in San Marcos. Elias has performed around the United States and Europe at clubs like Snug Harbor in New Orleans, Jazz Alley in Seattle, The Elephant Room in Austin, and The Blue Note in New York. He has also served as a guest artist/lecturer at universities around the nation. Elias has 7 recordings as a leader all of which have been played on radio stations across the world. His 2014 recording LIVE at the Gallery, received 4.5 stars in Downbeat magazine and was listed as one of the best recordings of the year. "Haslanger's freewheeling licks roar with virtuosity and infectious joie de vivre." -Michael Jackson, DownBeat 

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for the David Chao Quartet! David Chao – Piano Eric Hargett – Saxophone Ben Triesch – Bass Daniel Sanchez – Drums David is a jazz pianist and composer based in Austin, Texas. In September 2025, David started writing 50 new songs in 100 days, specifically for this show. This performance will feature the band’s selection of compositions from this new body of work.