Becoming Quintet
Becoming Quintet is an exciting new jazz collective featuring Eric Wortzman (trumpet), Markus Howell (alto sax/flute), Luther Allison (piano), Liany Mateo (bass), and Zach Adleman (drums). The ensemble features original music by all the members of the band, plus a few selections from modern influences. Members of the group have garnered numerous awards and have taken their music around the world. Awards include acceptance into the The Gathering Orchestra, Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program, the Grammy Camp-Jazz Session Big Band, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra. As side musicians, members have performed at the After Parties at the Grammy’s, Carnegie Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Blue Note, and the Dirty Dog, with jazz luminaries such as Rodney Whitaker, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Michael Dease, and Jimmy Cobb.
Eric Wortzman
Trumpeter Eric Wortzman is currently pursuing his bachelors of music at Michigan State University, and as a member of the Michigan State Jazz Orchestra 1, has had the opportunity to play alongside many of today’s top notch musicians in the field such as Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Russell Malone, Brian Lynch, Kenny Baron, and Melisa Aldana. Wortzman was fortunate enough to be a member of the inaugural year of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, conducted by trombonist Vincent Gardner, and performed at some of NYC’s most notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Appel Room, and The Edison Ballroom. Some of his mentors include Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Etienne Charles, Kenny Rampton, and Marcus Printup. In addition to his love for playing music, Wortzman is equally invested in passing on what he knows, just has others have done for him. Between being the assistant director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Big Band and teaching private lessons, Wortzman continues to help those around him learn and fall in love with music just as he has.
Markus Howell
Alto saxophonist/flutist Markus Howell is a performer, composer, and educator. As a graduate of Michigan State University, Howell has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Christian McBride, Jimmy Cobb, Peter Bernstein, Kenny Barron, and Louis Hayes to name a few. Along with the Michigan State Jazz Orchestra 1, Howell has made several appearances at the Detroit Jazz Festival, competed in the Next Generation Jazz Festival competition in Monterey, California, and is an alumnus of the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency in Washington D.C. Howell has performed with top leaders on their respectful instruments including Rodney Whitaker, Etienne Charles, Michael Dease, and Barbara Morrison. He has also recorded with artists such as Rodney Whitaker, Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, and Randy Napoleon, and will be releasing his debut recording in 2019 on Posi-Tone. His composition “The Pursuit For Inspiration” was featured on Michael Dease’s album “Father Figure.” He also co-composed a film called "Sorta Late,” which was featured in the 2016 Traverse City Film Festival. Howell is currently a mentor fellow at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Liany Mateo
The size and leadership role of the bass was Liany Mateo’s initial attraction to the instrument and a Wes Montgomery video ignited her passion for jazz. Mateo was accepted in the Jazz for Teens program at the NJ Performing Arts Center and quickly became a teaching assistant at the Brevard Jazz Camp, the Jazz House Kids program and the NJPAC All Female Jazz Residency program. She has studied with Ben Wolfe and now with Michigan State Jazz Studies Director and Lincoln Center Orchestra member Rodney Whitaker. As a New Jersey native she is a regular in the New York club scene and has collaborated with Michael Dease, Winard Harper, Ettienne Charles, and Diego Rivera. As a first generation immigrant from Caribbean parents, and a first generation college student, Mateo certainly has the talent, determination, and discipline to reach her goal and become one of the leading bassists in jazz and beyond.
Luther Allison
Hailing from Charlotte, NC, multi-instrumentalist Luther Allison was first exposed to jazz while in high school through the local non-profit organization Jazz Arts Initiative, which was directed by Lonnie and Ocie Davis. Since his involvement in the organization throughout high school, Allison had the opportunity to perform alongside Donald Harrison and Delfeayo Marsalis prior to entering college. Over his time at The University of Tennessee, Allison worked as a side musician on both drums and piano alongside Gregory Tardy, Donald Brown, Conrad Herwig, and Steve Davis. At the age of 19, Allison recorded his first record on drums (Michael Dease’s “Father Figure,” 2017). One year later, he returned to play piano on Dease's album “Reaching Out.” In 2017, Allison became the first recipient of the Clyde Kerr Jr. Scholarship Award, presented by Jazz Arts Initiative in his hometown of Charlotte, NC. Allison graduated from The University of Tennessee in 2017, with his Bachelors of Music in Studio Music and Jazz with a focus in both Drums and Piano. He is currently studying for a Masters of Music in Jazz Performance from Michigan State University.
Zach Adleman
Montclair, New Jersey drummer Zach Adleman has performed at Carnegie Hall, the 57th Annual Grammy Awards After Parties, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and NJPAC, alongside jazz luminaries Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, and Randy Brecker. Additionally, Zach has received a Grammy Award for playing percussion on the song "Water in Cupped Hands", on Ted Nash's 2016 release, "Presidential Suite." A recent scholarship recipient at the prestigious Michigan State University jazz studies program, Zach played on Michael Dease's 2018 album "Reaching Out.” In September 2017, Adleman won the J.C Heard National Drum Competition, and led his own trio, featuring Rodney Whitaker, at the 2017 Detroit Jazz Festival. Adleman has performed internationally, including a one-week residency at Marians Jazzroom in Bern, Switzerland, with the Isaiah Thompson Quartet. Adleman has been extensively involved in outstanding jazz programs like Jazz House Kids and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra. Today, he strives to embody one of Rodney Whitaker’s sayings, “each one, teach one”, by doing educational outreach. Adleman has served on faculty at the Jazz Institute at Brevard and works every year at the Jazz House Kids Summer Workshop.
Becoming Quintet is an exciting new jazz collective featuring Eric Wortzman (trumpet), Markus Howell (alto sax/flute), Luther Allison (piano), Liany Mateo (bass), and Zach Adleman (drums). The ensemble features original music by all the members of the band, plus a few selections from modern influences. Members of the group have garnered numerous awards and have taken their music around the world. Awards include acceptance into the The Gathering Orchestra, Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program, the Grammy Camp-Jazz Session Big Band, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra. As side musicians, members have performed at the After Parties at the Grammy’s, Carnegie Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Blue Note, and the Dirty Dog, with jazz luminaries such as Rodney Whitaker, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Michael Dease, and Jimmy Cobb.
Eric Wortzman
Trumpeter Eric Wortzman is currently pursuing his bachelors of music at Michigan State University, and as a member of the Michigan State Jazz Orchestra 1, has had the opportunity to play alongside many of today’s top notch musicians in the field such as Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Russell Malone, Brian Lynch, Kenny Baron, and Melisa Aldana. Wortzman was fortunate enough to be a member of the inaugural year of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, conducted by trombonist Vincent Gardner, and performed at some of NYC’s most notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Appel Room, and The Edison Ballroom. Some of his mentors include Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Etienne Charles, Kenny Rampton, and Marcus Printup. In addition to his love for playing music, Wortzman is equally invested in passing on what he knows, just has others have done for him. Between being the assistant director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Big Band and teaching private lessons, Wortzman continues to help those around him learn and fall in love with music just as he has.
Markus Howell
Alto saxophonist/flutist Markus Howell is a performer, composer, and educator. As a graduate of Michigan State University, Howell has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Christian McBride, Jimmy Cobb, Peter Bernstein, Kenny Barron, and Louis Hayes to name a few. Along with the Michigan State Jazz Orchestra 1, Howell has made several appearances at the Detroit Jazz Festival, competed in the Next Generation Jazz Festival competition in Monterey, California, and is an alumnus of the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency in Washington D.C. Howell has performed with top leaders on their respectful instruments including Rodney Whitaker, Etienne Charles, Michael Dease, and Barbara Morrison. He has also recorded with artists such as Rodney Whitaker, Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, and Randy Napoleon, and will be releasing his debut recording in 2019 on Posi-Tone. His composition “The Pursuit For Inspiration” was featured on Michael Dease’s album “Father Figure.” He also co-composed a film called "Sorta Late,” which was featured in the 2016 Traverse City Film Festival. Howell is currently a mentor fellow at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Liany Mateo
The size and leadership role of the bass was Liany Mateo’s initial attraction to the instrument and a Wes Montgomery video ignited her passion for jazz. Mateo was accepted in the Jazz for Teens program at the NJ Performing Arts Center and quickly became a teaching assistant at the Brevard Jazz Camp, the Jazz House Kids program and the NJPAC All Female Jazz Residency program. She has studied with Ben Wolfe and now with Michigan State Jazz Studies Director and Lincoln Center Orchestra member Rodney Whitaker. As a New Jersey native she is a regular in the New York club scene and has collaborated with Michael Dease, Winard Harper, Ettienne Charles, and Diego Rivera. As a first generation immigrant from Caribbean parents, and a first generation college student, Mateo certainly has the talent, determination, and discipline to reach her goal and become one of the leading bassists in jazz and beyond.
Luther Allison
Hailing from Charlotte, NC, multi-instrumentalist Luther Allison was first exposed to jazz while in high school through the local non-profit organization Jazz Arts Initiative, which was directed by Lonnie and Ocie Davis. Since his involvement in the organization throughout high school, Allison had the opportunity to perform alongside Donald Harrison and Delfeayo Marsalis prior to entering college. Over his time at The University of Tennessee, Allison worked as a side musician on both drums and piano alongside Gregory Tardy, Donald Brown, Conrad Herwig, and Steve Davis. At the age of 19, Allison recorded his first record on drums (Michael Dease’s “Father Figure,” 2017). One year later, he returned to play piano on Dease's album “Reaching Out.” In 2017, Allison became the first recipient of the Clyde Kerr Jr. Scholarship Award, presented by Jazz Arts Initiative in his hometown of Charlotte, NC. Allison graduated from The University of Tennessee in 2017, with his Bachelors of Music in Studio Music and Jazz with a focus in both Drums and Piano. He is currently studying for a Masters of Music in Jazz Performance from Michigan State University.
Zach Adleman
Montclair, New Jersey drummer Zach Adleman has performed at Carnegie Hall, the 57th Annual Grammy Awards After Parties, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and NJPAC, alongside jazz luminaries Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, and Randy Brecker. Additionally, Zach has received a Grammy Award for playing percussion on the song "Water in Cupped Hands", on Ted Nash's 2016 release, "Presidential Suite." A recent scholarship recipient at the prestigious Michigan State University jazz studies program, Zach played on Michael Dease's 2018 album "Reaching Out.” In September 2017, Adleman won the J.C Heard National Drum Competition, and led his own trio, featuring Rodney Whitaker, at the 2017 Detroit Jazz Festival. Adleman has performed internationally, including a one-week residency at Marians Jazzroom in Bern, Switzerland, with the Isaiah Thompson Quartet. Adleman has been extensively involved in outstanding jazz programs like Jazz House Kids and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra. Today, he strives to embody one of Rodney Whitaker’s sayings, “each one, teach one”, by doing educational outreach. Adleman has served on faculty at the Jazz Institute at Brevard and works every year at the Jazz House Kids Summer Workshop.