Matrix emerged in 1974 from the Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin) jazz program, where John Harmon was director of jazz studies. Among the charter members of the group were Larry Darling, Kurt Dietrich, Mike Hale and Jeff Pietrangelo. After paying dues in Midwestern clubs, Matrix's coming out party was at the 1976 Monterey Jazz Festival.

For the next three years, Matrix continued to gather praise as it toured the United States, making significant waves in the new style of jazz that dominated the 1970s. Along the way, through replacements, the band picked up Mike Murphy and John Kirchberger from Milwaukee, Brad McDougall (an Illinois native) from Miami, and Randy Tico from Santa Barbara. Peter "Herb" Butler was the world-class sound engineer. This group played again at Monterey, the Newport Jazz Festival in New York, and festivals from Chicago to Telluride, Wichita, Reno and Galveston. Matrix opened shows for or shared bills with virtually all of the "name" big bands of the day -- Count Basie, D