Three years after the release of their eponymous debut, the all-female supergroup Artemis returns with most of the lineup intact save two substitutions. While Melissa Aldana and Anat Cohen have departed, presumably, to concentrate on their own roles as bandleaders, the fiercely aggressive tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, and the lyrically inclined multi-reedist Alexa Tarantino have joined returning acclaimed trumpeter Ingrid Jensen on the front line. Group leader and principal arranger, pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller keep the driving rhythm section intact. Each of these artists are bandleaders but finds time in their busy schedules to tour.
This unit has been playing together for the past two years and built palpable chemistry, having appeared at and set to grace numerous big-name festivals. Unlike some supergroups, they don’t just congregate for studio recordings. Before recording In Real Time, the band had a weeklong residency at NYC’s Birdland, helping them to further grow collectively. Miller says, “Simply put, we sound like a band.” In other words, they strike a balance between staying true to the composed music while enjoying the freedom to express themselves individually, whether tied to traditions or expanding boundaries.
In Real Time has more original material than the debut, with compositions from each band member except Glover as Rosnes composed two. They also honor two late composers – Lyle Mays and Wayne Shorter, with each of their compositions bookending the album. Usually, we hear Rosnes in acoustic settings but by beginning with Mays’ “Slink,” but she reveals a more varied side in her arrangement of flute, piano, Rhodes, and her own vocals. From the outset, the group is linked tightly in unison on the infectious melody with Tarantino’s flute prominent in the mix while Miller, one of the most energetic drummers in jazz, lives up to that reputation. Rosnes takes a shimmering acoustic solo, followed by Jensen before the powerful ensemble line takes us out with a gigantic climax. “Bow and Arrow” is Miller’s contribution, again featuring strong front-line performances with a sound that owes a bit to classic ‘60s Blue Note quintet and sextet albums. Jensen goes stratospheric, taking the first turn, Glover builds her solo via her trademark ferocious clusters, and the rhythm section, propelled by Miller, goes heavily percussive on all three instruments, leading to another huge finale.
With little choice but to dial it down, Rosnes comes through with her lush ballad, “Balance of Time,” a floating piece with just a few notes and elongated chords as Tarantino’s soprano blends beautifully with her front-line partners and Ueda provides nice arco support to Rosnes pianism. Ueda’s upbeat “Lights Away from Home” was inspired by watching a meteor shower and bright melodic, darting solos convey such, from Rosnes to Tarantino on soprano to fluid Glover and Ueda (pizzicato this time). Jensen, who hails from British Columbia, offers the double edged “Timber,” in one sense an ode to the beauty of the earth and in the darker side, when the lumberjacks fell those beautiful trees. Rosnes sets the ethereal background, playing only on Rhodes here while the horns – trumpet, tenor, and alto create a cinematic, spacey soundscape, that morphs from majestic to slightly agitated, yet flowing. The emphasis in these pieces is a fully formed ensemble sound as opposed to a series of solos, unlike what one might expect.
Even Tarantino’s flute-driven waltz, “Whirlwind” is a superb example of the above as the underlying horns create a rich set of harmonics with Glover also weighing in declaratively. Rosnes revisits her fast-paced “Empress Afternoon,” which first appeared on her 2002 Blue Note Life on Earth with Zakir Hussain on tabla. Miller picks up the Indian vibe with her wild, signature drumming and the piece features the group’s most energetic thrust in the set. Rosnes also arranged Shorter’s sensitive “Penelope,” which was first heard on the late icon’s 1965 Etcetera. The first section is a duet with the pianist and Jensen on muted trumpet before Glover, a true Shorter disciple, takes it into steamy realms, in all exquisitely rendered.
In Real Time is no sophomore jinx. Instead, it is a major step forward for the talented ensemble, Artemis.
