RECAP: Artemis @ A Place for Jazz, 10/4/2024

Words by J Hunter.  Photo provided.

All-women jazz groups aren’t a new thing. Their history goes back to the era of Louis Armstrong and continues right up to today, where drummer Sherrie Maricle leads the powerhouse DIVA Jazz Orchestra: A group that nurtured altoist Sharel Cassity, tenor player/vocalist Camille Thurman-Green, bari-sax killer Lauren “El Boogie” Sevien, and multi-instrumentalist Alexa Tarantino – all of whom have played area venues over the last few years. But with all those bands through all that history, none of them ever reached the lofty status of Supergroup – at least, not until pianist/composer Renee Rosnes pulled together some friends and colleagues for a show at a European jazz festival in 2017. That band became Artemis, and they’ve been kicking brass ever since, with two big-selling releases on Blue Note and a third on the way this coming February. A Place For Jazz has hosted some stellar artists and groups over the years, but Artemis’ appearance at Carl B. Taylor Auditorium is arguably one of their biggest events.

Rosnes chose Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance” as an icebreaker for the almost-full house, and that was perfect for the classics-loving core audience of APFJ. Trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and tenor player Nicole Glover helped Rosnes lay down Hancock’s beautiful mid-tempo melody, and then Jensen took off on the first solo, adding layer and layer of volume and complexity. Rosnes’ beautiful lines combined the lyricism of Hancock with the percussiveness of McCoy Tyner, giving the piece color and texture. Jensen is the only surviving member of Artemis’ original front line, but there was a really good reason for band leader Rosnes to keep her on: Ingrid Jensen is not just the best woman trumpet player on the menu, but she’s one of the best trumpeters, PERIOD! She played one-handed on Thelonious Monk’s “Hackensack”, occasionally shaping the sound with a plunger mute, and Jensen’s soaring original “Sights Unseen” gave Artemis the chance to let their Hard Bop freak flag fly.

Glover is one of the woefully few women tenor players on the scene, but she’s become one of my favorites because of her eagerness to step outside the box by punching a hole through it with her often-unorthodox lines. That worked perfectly with “Hackensack” and Monk’s unique sense of time and melody. For Glover’s part, she brought her own musical sense to the party with the sensual original “Petrichor.” Rosnes has been a favorite of mine ever since I first heard her with SFJAZZ Collective. She’s had a string of monster releases on Smoke Sessions including 2016’s Written on the Rocks, where her composition “Galapagos” first appeared. Rosnes brought the tune back for Artemis’ February release, and the quintet took the piece up a notch thanks to Jensen and Glover’s busting harmonies.

While the rest of the group came out wearing relatively muted outfits, drummer Allison Miller’s outrageous Mondrian-meets-Keith-Haring jacket and black Spandex leggings was right on brand, as was her flamboyant drum style. Miller’s got ample experience running the engine room for all-star groups, and she gave her partners whatever they needed on this evening, be it whispering brushes on Billy Strayhorn’s “A Fower is a Lovesome Thing” or towering percussion on Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.” Bassist / DIVA alum Noriko Ueda kept the foundation immaculate all night long, so Miller was free to stick and move at will. Just like it shouldn’t be weird for a woman to run for President, it shouldn’t be a thing that Artemis is an all-woman group. Unfortunately, jazz is not free of glass ceilings and sexist attitudes, so just like in the business world, women have to work harder for the same dollar men get. Happily, Rosnes took the bit in her teeth, found some like-minded individuals, and put them onstage so they could (musically) state, “WE ARE WOMEN! HEAR US ROAR!” That roar earned Artemis two standing ovations at A Place For Jazz, and definitely earned them some fervent new fans.

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