Label: Blue Note Records, 2023

Personnel - Renee Rosnes: piano; Ingrid Jensen: trumpet; Alexa Tarantino: alto and soprano saxophone, flute; Nicole Glover: tenor saxophone; Noriko Ueda: bass; Allison Miller: drums.

In Real Time is a great sophomore album for Artemis, a proficient all-female sextet formed and led by pianist Renee Rosnes who played with luminaries such as Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, and Ron Carter. The group sounds maturer and more appealing here than in its 2020 debut, featuring two new faces in the lineup - saxophonists Alexa Tarantino and Nicole Glover replace Melissa Aldana and Anat Cohen, effortlessly joining Canadian trumpeter Ingrid Jensen in the frontline. Joining Rosnes once again in the rhythm section are bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Allison Miller.

Throughout eight phenomenally creative cuts, regardless of mood and pace, these jazz ladies always know where they’re heading, playing by feel and not just by composition. They begin with Lyle Mays’ “Slink”, where the unstoppable and accurate bass work of Ueda creates polyphony and a certain rhythmic undercurrent. Rosnes' layered arrangement shows ingenuity, and she embarks on a dazzling piano solo herself. The trumpetism of Jensen is equally remarkable, flying with impeccable enunciation, range and elasticity. The piece strikes with convulsive rhythmic energy in its denouement.

Miller’s “Bow and Arrow” is pure, sophisticated post-bop with modal inclination and a perceivable Latinization in the B section. The versatile drummer keeps the tune grounded, expanding her chops during the vamp that succeeds the trumpet and saxophone improvisations. She employs lazily brushed mechanisms on Rosnes’ ballad “Balance of Time”, which, going from a rubato intro to a 4/4 tempo, swerves into a waltz in its last 40 seconds.

The Ueda-penned “Lights Away From Home” swings blissfully with a Lee Morgan-esque vibe in the melody. This piece was inspired by a meteor shower observed in upstate New York. Carrying a completely distinct feel, Jensen’s odd-metered “Timber” was born from the love of trees but also concerns about what is happening to our forests. Horn sounds ping without throbbing, and the salient Fender Rhodes places chords in the right place, inviting to interaction.

The opening piece of Rosnes’ 2001 album Life on Earth, “Empress Afternoon” is included here. It’s a whimsical number served with Eastern and Latin touches that needs virtuosity to work efficiently, and the group responds to the call with dynamism - fervent and motivic saxophone eloquence, two-hand keyboardic dexterity with no shortcuts, irresistible trumpet lines with octave-effect, and sharp drum chops. The sextet concludes in waltz mode with “Penelope”, a tribute to Wayne Shorter, who penned it.

The cohesive jazz universe of Artemis can be universally understood. Working in harmony, the group advocates the true spirit of democracy where each musician leaves their own imprint. Here, they sound better than ever.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bow and Arrow ► 05 - Timber ► 07 - Empress Afternoon

Label: Blue Note Records, 2020

Personnel - Melissa Aldana: tenor sax; Ingrid Jensen: trumpet; Anat Cohen: clarinet, bass clarinet; Cecile McLorin Salvant: vocals; Renee Rosnes: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass; Alison Miller: drums.

Artemis is an all-female supergroup whose seven members already possess deep credentials in the modern jazz world. They are not only intrepid improvisers and colorists but also true team players. Hence, Artemis’ eponymous debut album is highly demonstrative of those feats. Under the musical direction of Canadian pianist Renee Rosnes, this international ensemble proudly features New York-based jazz figures from different parts of the world, namely Israeli clarinetist Anat Cohen, Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana, Canadian trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, American vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant, Japanese bassist Noriko Ueda and American drummer Alison Miller.

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt and the wilderness. The opener, precisely titled “Goddess of the Hunt”, was penned by Miller, who forges an attractive rhythm with Ueda here. The tune features four distinctive soloists - Aldana, exemplary in her acrobatic movements, is effective across the whole range of the saxophone but really stuns whenever she hits the low notes; Rosnes develops fleet phrases with horn fills in the back; Jensen’s unique locution is filled with meaningful piercing notes; and Cohen brings her dulcet sound and agile imagination to the fore.

The interesting arrangement inflicted by Jensen to The Beatles’ “The Fool on the Hill” transformed the amiable pop of the British group into polished post-bop. Amidst the collective effort, it’s hard not to notice the conjoint work of the contrabass and the bass clarinet toward low-end stabilization. This tune is not as fidgety as “Big Top”, an animated swing romp with a few rhythmic variations and a deeper connection with tradition. Rosnes, who wrote it, feels at home here as she sweeps the piano keys with bravura.

Versatility is all over the album, and if the romanticism of Cohen’s “Nocturno”, inspired by Chopin’s classical warmth and wondrously propelled by Miller’s mallet and brush work, flows in a relaxed manner, Ueda’s “Step Forward” waltzes buoyantly with a confident stride. In addition to those, Lee Morgan’s 1963 gem “The Sidewinder” unfurls with a firm sense of control in a graceful, cool-jazz interpretation set at a slower tempo. Jensen, Cohen and Aldana alternate bars, sussing out the sounds and languages that better suit this conversation.

The mesmerizing voice of Salvant brightens up a pair of pieces - a deeply-felt reading of Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic”, an authentic ray of light, and “Cry, Buttercup, Cry”, a composition by Rocco Accetta that was brought to life by the jazz singer Maxine Sullivan in 1948.

These remarkable jazzwomen make a point about creativity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Goddess of the Hunt ► 03 - The Fool on the Hill ► 05 - If It’s Magic