January 8, 2025
Fresh off their 2nd consecutive win for “Jazz Group of the Year” in the DownBeat Readers Poll, ARTEMIS returns with their third Blue Note album ARBORESQUE out Feb. 28 featuring a new quintet line-up of the band helmed by pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes with trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller. A paean to the sheer joy of collaboration and creativity, the album also explores a theme of natural and environmental beauty. ARTEMIS will be celebrating the album release with their debut appearance at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York City from March 4-9.
ARBORESQUE is a vibrant 8-song set that presents original compositions by each of the band members as well as Rosnes arrangements of pieces by Wayne Shorter (“Footprints”), Burt Bacharach (“What the World Needs Now Is Love”), and the unsung pianist Donald Brown whose inquisitive, noirish piece “The Smile of the Snake” opens the album and is available to stream or download now. “The title refers to people whom you love and trust, but who end up disappointing you,” says Rosnes, who has been a fan and friend of Brown’s for decades.
The genesis of ARTEMIS can be traced back to 2016 when Rosnes first assembled an all-star ensemble to celebrate International Women’s Day with live performances in Europe. Nine years later, as the band releases its third album, the collective continues to demonstrate its staying power and prove how the music transcends any notion of patriarchy. But ARTEMIS’ purpose has also expanded, reaching beyond special projects, cultural initiatives, or the supergroup concept.
“Our goal is to make honest music that touches people,” says Rosnes. “We inspire one another and feel passionate about playing together. All that positive energy comes through in the music and I believe the audiences feel it.”
Today, ARTEMIS exists as a deeply committed core unit who’ve played together more than any other incarnation of the group. “As a quintet, there’s a greater feeling of elasticity. We’ve become looser and tighter at the same time,” Rosnes says. Jensen is “a stunningly original voice on trumpet and can pollinate a chord with the perfect note.” As Jensen’s ideal foil on the frontline, Glover is “a bold storyteller and plays with a innate sense of purpose and freedom.” Ueda is “a virtuoso of the bass whose lines are centered and buoyant.” Miller is “the band’s center of gravity as well as being a gifted orchestrator behind the drumkit.” Together with Rosnes and Ueda, the rhythm section puts power and finesse in perfect equilibrium.
