Meet the Members

Scott Mason, Double Bass (founder)

Scott Mason has been a professional musician in the Chicago area since the 1970s. He began his double bass studies at age 15; his teachers included jazz icon Rufus Reid and Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal bass Joseph Guastefeste. Mason later earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Arranging and Composing with Frank Mantooth at DePaul University. As a bassist, he has performed with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Bob Hope, Steve Allen, and Bunky Green. As an educator, he recently retired from the Chicago College of Performing Arts after a 40-year career during which time he led the Jazz and Contemporary Music program for over a decade. After appearing on over 50 record albums and CDs by local artists, including Josie Falbo and Marshall Vente, Quinteto Panamericano represents his first recording under his own name.

Narumi, vocalist

Narumi Tanigawa is a Japanese-born vocalist whose musical roots trace back to childhood chorus lessons with her mother. She began performing in Japan and later moved to the United States to continue her musical studies and pursue her interest in language. After classical training in college, she transferred to Roosevelt University to study jazz, where she fell in love with the artistry of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and Peggy Lee. Their influence helped her develop a versatile style that spans jazz, blues, pop, and R&B. Alongside her singing career, Narumi owns a beauty business and works as a professional esthetician.

Octavio Serrano, Piano

Octavio Serrano started performing in 2012. As an autodidact, he taught himself to play guitar when he was 12. He played in rock bands until college, where he began his proper studies at Morton College and Roosevelt University. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Composition with Dr. Kyong Mee Choi, Dr. Stuart Folse, and Jim Gailloreto, while studying jazz under Scott Mason, Alejandro Cortés, and Roger Harris. Quinteto Panamericano is one of the first professional groups Serrano joined after graduating, and he plays and records with local Chicago artists regularly. He leads a neo-soul group named Hi Score with singer Adrian Mendez. Additionally, he spends his time teaching private music lessons, composing, and raising his son.

Kenthaney Redmond, Flute

Born in Chicago, Kenthaney Redmond is a flutist and a composer. He gained local recognition in Chicago with his band, the Kenthaney Redmond Quintet. The group was formed with the idea of exploring the intersection between rock and jazz while also incorporating new and original compositions from the band members. The success of this group led to various performances at notable Chicago venues, including Navy Pier, Andy’s Jazz Club, and the Jazz Showcase. Redmond attended Roosevelt University where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies and Flute Performance in 2019. Later, he earned a Master’s degree from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.

Redmond has performed with many notable artists, including Resavior (Will Miller), Isaiah Collier, Sam Thousand, and Micah Collier. Redmond is also a 2022 Luminarts Jazz Fellow and was a finalist in the National Flute Association 2024 Jazz Competition.

Lidanys Graterol, cello

Cellist Lidanys Graterol discovered her passion for the cello at the age of eight, at the Ateneo de Coro in Falcón, Venezuela. She began her studies as a part of José Antonio Abreu’s System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela, known as “El Sistema.”

Graterol was the First Prize winner in the 2021 International Grande Music Competition, which award included performing in New York City at Kaufman Music Center-Merkin Concert Hall. Winner of the 2020 Chicago College of the Performing Arts (CCPA) Solo Competition, Graterol performed as Soloist in the Dvorak Cello Concerto at Symphony Center, Chicago, with the CCPA Symphony Orchestra. In 2022 she was part of the Pacific Music Festival taking place in Sapporo, Japan, and received coaching from members of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic; in 2023 she toured in Germany with the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Orchestra.

Graterol recently finished her three years with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, which provided her the opportunity to play with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a substitute. Graterol is the recipient of the Latin Grammy Foundation Tuition Scholarship. Thanks to the Foundation, she is a Master’s candidate in Cello Performance at Roosevelt University and is a student of Richard Hirschl.

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