Artemis - Arboresque

March 17, 2025

Label: Blue Note Records, 2025

Personnel - Ingrid Jensen: trumpet; Nicole Glover: tenor saxophone; Renee Rosnes: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass; Allison Miller: drums.

The acclaimed all-female quintet Artemis, assembled in 2016 to celebrate International Women’s Day with live performances in Europe, returns with their third album for the Blue Note label. On Arboresque, they explore themes of nature and beauty across eight consistently engaging tracks. Having developed remarkable artistic chemistry, each member contributes an original composition to a program that is rounded out by three thoughtfully arranged jazz covers.

Remaining just as tactile and cohesive as ever, the group starts off with “The Smile of the Snake”, a composition by pianist/producer Donald Brown (who worked with Kenny Garrett), impeccably arranged by the ensemble’s musical director, pianist Renee Rosnes. Following the theme’s stealthy steps and sultry contortions, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Nicole Glover deliver commanding solos, briefly overlapping in an unexpected but electrifying moment. Their playing highlights a fluent and typically inventive discourse.

With a strong emphasis on texture and mood, “Komorebi”, penned by Japanese bassist Noriko Ueda, flows with breezy post-bop assurance. The Japanese term refers to sunlight filtering through the leaves of a tree, a fitting inspiration for the piece’s airy and luminous feel. Glover’s “Petrishor” is a lush ballad propelled by Allison Miller’s soft brushwork. The drummer, often infusing buoyancy and dynamism from behind the kit, contributes “Little Cranberry”, a mellifluous tribute to the little island in Maine.

Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” is reimagined at a faster tempo, sparking a thrilling sense of discovery through Rosnes’ fantastic arrangement, which features stunning solos, dramatic bar trades, and tight-knit interplay. Rosnes, who arranged all three covers with her signature elegance, also shines on Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now is Love”. This 3/4 incantation is infused with harmonic nuances inspired by the late pianist Mulgrew Miller.

Jensen’s “Sights Unseen” is gorgeously orchestrated with a rich sense of elasticity, its groovy harmonic foundation anchored by expansive Rhodes textures and a vibrant swing feel. Meanwhile, in Rosnes’ “Olive Branch”, the pianist the pianist weaves in Brazilian rhythms and tonal colors, drawing from the inspirations behind her latest album, Crossing Paths (Smoke Sessions, 2024).

Arboresque is made of masterfully placed elements that intensify the compositions’ contagious vibes, cementing its place as a cherished addition to Artemis’ formidable catalog.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Smile of the Snake ► 03 - Sights Unseen ► 05 - Footprints

Artemis - In Real Time

May 1, 2023

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

Artemis - Artemis

December 16, 2020

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