The Music Quintet

The Music Quintet is a creative music ensemble from Oberlin, Ohio. The group, comprised of alumni and current students of the Oberlin Conservatory, met at the institution and formed the group in 2022. Since then, The Music Quintet has worked alongside musicians and mentors such as Gerald Cannon, Nicole Mitchell, and Chris Coles, and in July 2022 released their first album, Plays Music, on UpClose Records. Their second album, Mendis, is anticipated to release in the summer of 2024.

Jordan Guldman - Trumpet

Coleman Rose - Saxophone

Abe Gold - Piano

Owen H Frankel - Bass

Noah Nelson - Drums

Jordan Guldman is a trumpeter and composer originally from Truckee, California. They studied jazz trumpet performance at the Oberlin Conservatory under the tutelage of Dr. Eddie Henderson, Gerald Cannon, and Gary Bartz. Jordan is a founding member of the Music Quintet, and has also released two albums as a bandleader. Next year, Jordan will be attending the Manhattan School of Music in pursuit of a master’s degree in jazz trumpet performance.

Noah Nelson is a drummer, guitarist, vocalist, and composer from San Luis Obispo, California. An in-demand and versatile freelance musician, he has performed for sold out audiences across North America with groups ranging in style from bebop to indie rock and records both as a sideman and leader. He is a founding member of Oberlin based free-improvising ensemble The Music Quintet, tours with indie-soulers Proxima Parada, and is a burgeoning singer-songwriter.

Coleman Rose is a saxophonist and composer from Boston, Massachusetts. He now attends the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, from which he will receive his bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies in 2024, where he studies with Gary Bartz. Rose has been fortunate to study and learn from the likes of Gerald Cannon, Eddie Henderson, and Billy Hart, amongst others. He has been recognized for his playing and composing by competitions and ensembles such as the Oberlin Sonny Rollins Ensemble (2021-22), the Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency (2022), and the Avaloch Farm Institute (2022). In 2024, Rose was recognized by Vandoren by winning second place in the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. As well, he was awarded by the Oberlin Conservatory with the Wendell and Bettye Logan Award in Jazz Studies. Rose has recorded as a sideman on multiple projects and co-leads his own band, The Music Quintet, who released their first album, Plays Music, in 2022 on UpClose Records. The group embarked on a three week tour through the United States and Canada in the summer of 2023, and are working on the release of their second record in 2024.

Abe Gold is a pianist from New York, NY. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he was a student of Dan Wall, graduating in 2024. He loves music and loves playing music with The Music Quintet!

Owen H Frankel is a bassist, vocalist, and composer based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2022, he graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied with Peter Dominguez and Gerald Cannon. While a student at Oberlin, Owen was a founding member of groups Slampson and The Music Quintet. He has also released much music under his own name that highlights him as an adept and unique indie singer-songwriter. An in demand improvising musician in Chicago, Owen can be seen playing regularly at venues around the city and beyond with musicians such as the Vincent Davis, the Jamal Damien trio, and Ernest Dawkins; as well as his recently formed project, Our Mutt.

Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.

Doors open one half hour before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

To join our mailing list, please click here.

Thank you for your support!

Please note: Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.

Host or Publisher Sam Rudin