Being & Becoming

Soaring trumpet lines transform into haunting, guttural subtones. Resonant vibraphone ferocity hovers over basslines that throb and sear. Torrential drumming pushes toward episodes of improvisatory sonic exploration that is languid at times, boisterous and frenetic at others.

In a concert performance, trumpet player and composer Peter Evans leads the quartet Being & Becoming. Featuring some of the most forward-thinking young musicians in Jazz and Contemporary music, each of the members of Being & Becoming are widely known for their individuality, virtuosity, and deep musical curiosity and rigor.

The quartet features Evans on trumpet, vibraphonist and synth player Joel Ross, bassist and bass synth player Nick Joz, and drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode. The dynamic and charged lighting design of Azumi O E heightens the alchemic creation and recreation of musical worlds onstage.

Evans' compositions for the band draw from a wide variety of sources, traditional and experimental, with a grounding in improvisational idioms, notated concert music, and an array of experimental approaches. The group has released two albums–their eponymous debut in 2020 and the symphonic work Ars Memoria in 2022, both on Evans’ label More is More.

The last two years have seen the group tour major festivals and venues in the USA and Europe, constantly developing new music. A new album recorded in 2024 at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey will see its release in 2025. All four members are recognized as leading virtuosi on their respective instruments, and have thriving careers as soloists, bandleaders, producers, and composers.