Memorial Day with the Summer Camargo Big Band

Spend your Memorial Day wrapped in the sound of a roaring big band as The Jazz Purveyor presents “Memorial Day with the Summer Camargo Big Band,” a special live-taping, listening-room concert at Monks Jazz Club on May 25, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

This isn’t just another gig—it’s a full big band in high gear, anchored by trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Summer Camargo. At only 24, she’s already been named one of DownBeat’s “25 for the Future,” holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Juilliard, and performs regularly at New York City heavy-hitters like Dizzy’s and Birdland. She’s a member of the Mingus Big Band, the youngest member of the Saturday Night Live band, and part of the Broadway musical Just in Time.

For this Memorial Day celebration, Summer leads a stacked ensemble that puts the “big” in big band:

• Trumpet: Summer Camargo
• Saxophones: Seth Carper, Matt Chavez, Eli Wyatt, Ripley Swingle, Aidan Brown
• Trumpets: Matt Collins, Mike Sailors, Isaac Pittinger, Jonah Springs
• Trombones: Andre Hayward, Judah Guerra, Jacob Martinez, Demetreis Thornton
• Rhythm section: Joao Camargo on piano, Ryan Hagler on bass, Daniel Dufour on drums

Expect tightly arranged horn lines, soaring solos, and the kind of dynamic interplay that only a seasoned big band can deliver. This concert is a tribute to jazz as America’s classical music—liberty, legacy, and democracy expressed through swing, groove, and improvisation.

Summer’s star has been rising fast. She’s performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on their Big Band Holidays tour, joined Jon Batiste at the Newport Jazz Festival, and appeared at high-profile events like Wynton at 60 and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala, where she premiered her original composition “Alalazoo.” Her debut album, To Whom I Love (Blue Engine Records, 2024), has already drawn praise and a coveted DownBeat Hot Box feature.

Her mantle is crowded with honors: the Ella Fitzgerald Outstanding Soloist Award, the Dr. J. Douglas White Student Composition Contest, the International Trumpet Guild’s Ryan Anthony Trumpet Memorial Competition, and multiple Outstanding Trumpet Soloist awards at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Festival. She’s also a proud Conn Selmer/Bach artist, carrying forward the great trumpet tradition with her own fresh voice.

Monks keeps the focus fully on the music with a true listening-room vibe and a whisper policy during the live taping. It’s an intimate way to experience a big band—close enough to feel every brass blast and cymbal shimmer while knowing the performance is being captured for posterity.

• Presented by: The Jazz Purveyor
• When: Monday, May 25, 2026 – first show at 7:30 p.m.
• Format: Live taping, listening-room concert
• Vibe: Serious jazz, full big band, respectful audience, BYOB hang
• Perks: Cold still and sparkling water available for purchase, ice on hand, wine keys and cups ready for your BYOB selections

Come hear a powerful young bandleader and an all-star crew of Texas and national jazz talents light up Memorial Day with music that salutes the past while charging into the future.