Austin Live Jazz Meetup

Come join Austin Jazz Society as they continue their collaboration with Monks Jazz Club in the series known as MidWeek at Monks. The vocal stylings of Julie Slim will be featured with her band, Rendezvous.

JULIE SLIM & RENDEZVOUS
- Julie Slim - Vocals
- Shawn Ellison - Piano
- Tommy Howard - Guitar
- Phil Spencer - Bass
- Joe McCreary - Drums

About Julie Slim
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.”

Monks Jazz Club is a BYOB venue that also offer and excellent live stream opportunity.

Come join Austin Jazz Society as they continue the finest and longest jazz series Austin has known. Brazilian pianist, Rique Pantoja, will bring his quartet to perform originals and other favorites.

THE RIQUE PANTOJA QUARTET
Rique Pantoja - Piano
Jake Lampe - Saxophone
Aidan Berg - Bass
Adriano Santos - Drums

About Rique Pantoja
Meet Rique Pantoja, a multi-talented composer, arranger, songwriter, singer, and jazz pianist hailing from Rio de Janeiro. With over two decades of experience based in Los Angeles, Rique is in great demand worldwide for his outstanding work in concerts, recordings, TV and film, and advertising projects.

Rique's journey began when he moved to Boston at the young age of 19 to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He then traveled to Paris to work with legendary American jazz trumpeter Chet Baker before returning to Brazil, where he quickly gained acceptance among notable artists in the Brazilian music scene such as Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Gal Costa, Chico Buarque, Gonzaguinha and Tim Maia. He was one of the founding members of the highly successful Cama de Gato ("Cat's Cradle"), a bestseller instrumental group 1986/87, remaining one of the outstanding Brazilian jazz groups to date.

Rique has worked with many heavyweights in the international musical scene, including Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Yasuko Agawa, classical guitarist Christopher Parkening, Abraham Laboriel, Ernie Watts, Lee Ritenour, Airto & Flora Purim, Frank Gambale, Alex Acuña, Kirk Whalum, Don Grusin, Brandon Fields, Justo Almario, Luis Conte, Steps Ahead - Mike Mainieri, Sadao Watanabe, and Israel Houghton to name a few.

His work spans a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, modern classical, pop, and gospel music. Regardless of the genre, Rique's distinctive stylings are recognizable for their cool beats, unmistakable passion, sophisticated harmonic voicings, and highly original melodic lines.

In addition to his diverse portfolio, Rique has made his mark on the worldwide music scene. His tune "I Believed It" co-written with Zoë Theodorou won the prestigious Covenant Awards in Canada as "Jazz/Blues Song of the Year" in 2008. He has also composed and arranged themes and underscoring for hit TV shows, including "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" and "Santa Barbara," as well as for major brands like Coca-Cola, Nissan, and Pepsi- Cola.

The music of Rique has been featured on the soundtracks of various movies, such as Disney's "Jungle 2 Jungle" and the biographical documentary "Let's Get Lost," which chronicles the life of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. He was also part of the musical soundtrack of the animation "Rio" with Sergio Mendes and film composer John Powell.

Apart from his successful music career, Rique is also a respected music educator. He has taught at Southern California's Biola University for years and offered workshops and master classes at various schools, including UCLA, CBU Riverside, Pepperdine University, and at NAMM for Yamaha keyboards. His involvement with different universities and training programs highlights his passion for teaching and nurturing the next generation of musicians.

Rique's remarkable talent has earned him endorsement deals with Yamaha, M-Audio, Celemony (Melodyne), and his Salseada appears on the Yamaha Drum module DTXtreme instrument line.

Rique Pantoja's diverse musical output have established him as a major figure in the music industry, both in his native Brazil and around the world.

Jazz Legacy: The Next Movement - An intimate showcase of Austin’s rising jazz stars.

Join us for two unforgettable evenings celebrating the future of jazz at the elegant Chez Zee Gallery. Curated to spotlight the next generation of talented young jazz musicians, Jazz Legacy: The Next Movement honors tradition while boldly exploring where the music is headed next.

Dates: Saturday, August 9th and Saturday, August 16th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm each per day.

Location: Chez Zee Bistro ‘The Gallery’ – a cozy, art-filled venue perfect for an inspiring night out.

Jazz Legacy: The Next Movement - An intimate showcase of Austin’s rising jazz stars.

Join us for two unforgettable evenings celebrating the future of jazz at the elegant Chez Zee Gallery. Curated to spotlight the next generation of talented young jazz musicians, Jazz Legacy: The Next Movement honors tradition while boldly exploring where the music is headed next.

Dates: Saturday, August 9th and Saturday, August 16th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm each per day.

Location: Chez Zee Bistro ‘The Gallery’ – a cozy, art-filled venue perfect for an inspiring night out.