Contemporary Quintet

Since 2011, the Contemporary Quintet, also known as the Greenville Jazz Collective Quintet, has been the flagship small group of Upstate South Carolina. With an extensive catalog that includes hard driving post-bop, tender ballads, contemplative Latin colors, and straight ahead swing, this composer-driven outfit uses nimble dynamics, soulful and bluesy accents, fleet fingered improv, and group interplay as their calling card.

While there is no shortage of wonderful jazz musicians in Upstate South Carolina, Contemporary Quintet has led the way with the adventurous live album "Live at the Altamont" in 2015 and their debut studio album "New Beginnings" in 2023, both of which feature exclusively original works from the band members.

Contemporary Quintet is also the resident ensemble for the annual Local Jazz Composers Concert at the Coffee Underground presented by GVL Jazz that has spotlighted dozens of other composers from the Southeast including:

• Lovell Bradford 
• Bill Gerhardt
• Kofi Burbridge 
• Mark Rapp
• Michael Jefry Stevens
• Jorge Garcia
• Adam Knight
• Wendy Jones
• Ron Brendle
• Mike Holstein
• Tom Wright
• Justin Ray
• Steve Watson
• Jon Grier
• Jason DeCristofaro
• Tish Oney
• Troy Conn
• Kevin Korschgen
• Richard Shulman

The members of Contemporary Quintet are all jazz faculty at Furman University and are active performers, composers, collaborators, and educators throughout the Upstate. Matt Dingledine and Shannon Hoover are also founding members of the nonprofit GVL Jazz.