Brass Peacock

Sparky Thomson Quintet
2025-01-10 19:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago) | Brass Peacock
Lee “Sparky” Thomason, a versatile musician from Rockdale, Texas, is a force in the jazz world. As a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and educator, he has graced stages with renowned ensembles like The Temple Jazz Orchestra, Tonic Big Band, and the N.O.W. Jazz Orchestra. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by bands nationwide, from high school groups to professional outfits like Mambo Jumbo and Latin Breed. Since 2016, Thomason has been shining a spotlight on Texas jazz through his weekly webcast, Lone Star Jazz.

Swing 512
2025-01-04 19:00 - 23:00 | Brass Peacock
Swing 512 is a gypsy jazz/”hot jazz” band from Austin, Texas, in the style of Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli. The band was put together by violinist Liz Mallett, guitarists Matt Montoya and Saul Hernandez, and upright bassist Derek Thigpen, all of whom came from classical backgrounds before discovering an interest in jazz. Swing 512’s sound features fast-paced and intricate improvisation over the swing manouche sound that characterized Django in Paris. Influences range from Django, to more modern gypsy jazz players such as Adrien Moignard, to Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and more.
About the Musicians
Liz Adrienne Mallett began studying classical violin and viola at the age of 9 in the San Francisco Bay area, under the tutelage of Carole Mayedo, along with special instruction from Zoya Leybin and Don Ehrlich of the San Francisco Symphony. After moving to Houston to attend Rice University, Liz now resides in Austin and plays in a diverse array of bands and ensembles, across many genres.
Matt Montoya has a degree in Music Performance from Texas State University. While his degree focused on Classical Guitar, he also likes to play Rock, Flamenco, Jazz, Gypsy Jazz, Blues, and other styles of guitar. Along with performing, Matt teaches classical guitar and jazz studies.
Saul Hernandez studied classical guitar performance at Texas State University, and now teaches music in Austin professionally. Along with classical guitar, he enjoys playing jazz and gypsy jazz music, and has performed with a variety of ensembles throughout Austin and San Marcos.
Derek Thigpen studied music at Texas State, where he is currently a graduate student studying upright bass. He plays upright bass and saxophone with an assortment of jazz and other bands across town, and teaches at Music & Arts.

David Chao Quartet
2025-01-03 19:00 - 23:00 | Brass Peacock
David Chao – Piano
Eric Hargett – Soprano/Tenor Saxophone
Ben Triesch – Double Bass
Danny Sanchez – Drums
In a crazy journey to become a jazz pianist – I’ve been a theoretical particle physicist and a healthcare entrepreneur – I’ve realized that we’re into music for much more than an “upbeat tune” or a “catchy beat.” If we really like a song, there’s always more. It calls to you in a very particular way. It puts you in a place in your storym, the the past or hoped for future, to where you want to be in that moment. A moment which could be very different from the one in which you’re listening.

New Years Eve - Zack Varner Quartet
2024-12-31 19:00 - 2025-01-01 00:00 | Brass Peacock
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Zack Varner remains in constant demand on the stage and in the studio. His quartet has performed at the international Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Santo Domingo Jazz Festivals. In his home city of Austin, Texas, he has performed showcases at the Uplift Jazz Festival and the South by Southwest Music Festival. Varner’s solo album release Blues in the Nude features eleven original compositions and has garnered excellent reviews from several established music critics. The Austin Chronicle’s Jeremy Steinberger writes: “Varner expertly honors tradition with hard bop and swing themes while simultaneously exploring and building on the genre’s evolution through tango, bossa nova, and samba-infused textures.”

As a collaborator, some of Varner’s credits include Jo James, Jungol, Graham Reynolds, the Brooks Prumo Orchestra, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Wally Minko, Grupo Bonyé, Red Young, Floyd Domino, Jennifer Holliday, Chad LB, The Christian Wiggs Big Band, The Texas Horns and many other jazz, rock, pop, and Latin ensembles. Zack can presently be found performing at venues throughout Austin and central Texas with his own group, as well as ensembles like the Funktet, the Austin Symphony, and The Sahara Swingtet.
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As an aspiring composer for film and media, Dr. Zack Varner has written numerous scores for independent films, animations, and dramatic shorts. Some of these include “Downbeat!” (Treadwell Productions), “Sunny Afternoon” (Field Films) and the upcoming film “Duel” (Dawnbreaker Studios). Zack was recently selected as a finalist in the International FMC Film Scoring Competition (video game division, 2022)..

The Jerrels- Jazz and Swing
2024-12-28 19:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
The Jerrells play a wide variety of swangin’ American roots music
https://www.thejerrellsband.com

S7ven Jazz Variety Band
2024-12-27 19:00 - 22:30
Based out of Austin, Texas, S7VEN plays a variety of styles from the different eras of jazz/pop/rock. S7VEN’s broad repertoire extends from Pat Metheny to the Yellowjackets to Harry Styles and Bill Withers to Eric Clapton and Tom Petty. Whatever your tastes, we’ve got something for you!
https://www.reverbnation.com/s7venjazz/songs

Francis McGrath Piano
2024-12-21 19:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock

Joshua Alderete & The Fellowship
2024-12-20 19:00 - 22:30, 2024-11-22 19:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
Joshua finds great fulfillment as a founding member of The Fellowship, a band celebrated for its fusion of Jazz, Funk, Neo Soul, Bebop, Latin and many, more influences. In 2018, The Fellowship was formed in San Marcos, Texas. The ensemble flourished, as a collective project led by visionary musicians. The band’s beginning was marked by the creative synergy of its founding members: Gerardo Espinoza on Tenor Saxophone, Christopher Villanueva on Piano, and Andrew Harkey on Bass. Together with Joshua Alderete’s dynamic drumming, they form a cohesive musical unit that embodies the spirit of collaboration and unity. Through their collective talents, The Fellowship continues to inspire audiences, fostering a sense of community and shared passion for jazz music across Texas and beyond. In 2020, the band relocated to San Antonio, Texas, expanding its reach and influence within the local music scene. In 2022, Joshua moved to the bustling city of Austin, TX. This ensemble is comprised of many, talented Jazz artists that share the same passion and drive, for the art.
https://joshuaalderetemusic.com/bio

Troy Kaufman Jazz Trio
2024-12-14 07:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
Celebrating America’s greatest musical tradition through performance of the Jazz standard repertoire and beloved melodies form the great American songbook. Perfect for music lovers and those seeking a sophisticated night out!
Troy has enjoyed performing as a freelance saxophonist in the Greater Austin and Golden-Triangle areas as a member of various big bands, jazz combos, salsa groups, and pop/rock/contemporary ensembles. His experiences in music have also allowed him to travel all throughout the United States and Europe performing with various groups.

Blue Dot Swing
2024-12-13 19:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
Blue Dot Swing is an Austin, Texas-based jazz band, drawing heavy inspiration from Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club du France. Composed of experienced Austin musicians, the band was founded by Will Dickerson and Jacob Harrell. They are dedicated to keeping Austin’s local live music scene vibrant by contributing their distinct style of jazz and community-oriented performances.

Closed Private Event
2024-12-06 00:00 - 23:59

Roberto Aponte Quintet
2024-11-30 19:30 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
Born in South Austin and raised in San Marcos, saxophonist Roberto Aponte earned a bachelors degree in Jazz Studies from Texas Statue University under the tutelage of Dr. Russell Haight. During his time at Texas State, he found inspiration from Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Thad Jones. On top of his Jazz experience, Roberto has played with various Latin, Funk, and Brass Bands throughout central Texas. This performance will have music featured in popular movies throughout cinematic history.
https://www.instagram.com/r_aponte_music/

Colin Houlihan Quartet
2024-11-29 19:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
Austin-based Jazz saxophonist, composer, educator, and bandleader Colin Houlihan has worked as a sideman, frontman, session musician and live theatre performer, always artfully melding his passion for jazz with a variety of genres and influences. He began his professional music career in 2015 as a part of the award-winning, New Orleans-inspired Big Wy’s Brass Band before starting his own career as a session musician and bandleader. Houlihan was recently featured in Loma’s 2020 album Don’t Shy Away (Sub Pop), an internationally acclaimed album which also featured electro-godfather Brian Eno. That same year, Houlihan performed alongside Tony-nominated actress Mary Bridget Davies in the Zach Theatre’s production of A Night With Janis Joplin, where the band’s work was praised as, “so good, it may be better than the real thing,” (Austin Chronicle).
https://www.colinhoulihan.com/

Steven Husted Trio
2024-11-23 19:00 - 22:30 | Brass Peacock
The Steven Husted trio @ Brass Peacock Saturday 11/23!! W Milo Hehmsoth on keys and Matías Soto Alvear on drums!
https://www.facebook.com/steven.husted.9/
