Darker Years is a trio with Nick Bentz on keyboards, Dylan Coleman on bass, and Zach Howarth on drums. They create works that are inspired by classical crossover and indie-jazz musicians like the Bad Plus, Joel Lyrassides, the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Brad Mehldau, and others. Their first album (Darker Years, 2021) is out on streaming platforms. The next release, “SOME TIMES”, will be released on the Platinum Coil label on September 18.

In October 2025, Zach led a five-week residency honoring Roy Haynes at Nocturne with Eric Gunnison on piano and Matt Smiley on bass. He played several sets of music that Haynes commonly recorded and/or wrote. This album is a live recording of two of those sets. This will be coming out Spring 2027 so keep an eye out!

ZKG is a modern chordless trio consisting of John Gunther on saxophone, SeaJun Kwon on bass, and Zach Howarth on drums. The trio writes music that reaches the edges of harmonic and rhythmic boundaries, utilizing both acoustic extended techniques and electronic effects. The album is expected to be released Winter 2026 on the Platinum Coil Records label.

Zach was a member of a live recording performance of John Zorn’s game piece “Cobra”, led by Matt Smiley. Check it out for free on YouTube!

This is a recording of a show Zach performed with SeaJun Kwon, Andres Orco, DJ Saycich. They played two sets of original, complex music, as well as some jazz standards. This was recorded live in Boulder, CO.

Surplus is a group consisting of Zach Howarth, Jason Owens, Max Case, and Nick Bentz, who all came together through the music scene in Reno, NV. This album was a collaborative project between them, with each member contributing compositions. The goal was to create something that both represented the unique personality of each musician and highlighted the group sound they had together.

Meaning. Formless. Shape. is Zach’s debut bandleader album, inspired by the works of The Bad Plus, Happy Apple, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Marquis Hill, Nate Smith, Brian Blade, and many others. Noted as “A traversing of sonic force”, it features Chris Clark on saxophone, Dave Strawn on guitar, Nick Bentz on keys, and Dylan Coleman on bass.

Four by Five is Zach’s first standards record, released in 2021. The title itself refers to the number of musicians on this record (saxophone, piano, bass, and drums/vibes) and the number of songs on the album.

This is a live recording from the Reno Laughing Planet Club's Wednesday Night Showcase--a tribute show for Thelonious Monk. It features a quintet of high-class musicians, put together by Vincenzo Pellegrino. The show consists of eight tunes, all written by Monk, as an homage to his creative genius.

This is a live recording from the Reno Laughing Planet Club's Wednesday Night Showcase--a tribute show for Charlie Parker. It features a quintet of high-class musicians, put together by Jason Owens. The show consists of six tunes all written by Parker, as an homage to his creative genius.