Jazz Articles about Ellen Rowe

Ellen Rowe Octet: Momentum

by Jerome Wilson
May 18, 2019

At a time when women are gaining more prominence in every field, it's no surprise there are more and more all-female jazz groups popping up. This particular octet, led by pianist Ellen Rowe, takes that a step farther with a CD that delves into women's history. They have recorded a set of Rowe compositions that honor women from the worlds of politics, arts, sports and science who have inspired her. The album begins with “Ain't I A Woman," ...

Ellen Rowe: Momentum: Portraits of Women in Motion

by Chris Mosey
March 7, 2019

An all-women jazz band playing songs about women--this is a CD whose time has surely come. Pianist Ellen Rowe has duly put together a collection of original songs lauding her gender. She says: “Each piece on this album is a tribute to women heroes of mine in disciplines ranging from music to social justice, environmental advocacy, sports and politics... the many amazing women who have had a profound influence on me. This album is a celebration of ...

The Sound Of Progress: Lioness And Ellen Rowe

by Dan Bilawsky
February 21, 2019

The voices of women who've been marginalized, demeaned, abused, and overlooked will no longer be silenced. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have pulled the curtains back on deplorable actions and practices that have run rampant in all corners of society, the jazz world being no exception. With scandals airing out hidden truths at the Berklee College of Music, individual musicians and educators being held accountable for their inexcusable actions the world over, and brave victims speaking out, the tide is ...

Ellen Rowe Quartet: Wishing Well

by Raul d'Gama Rose
June 10, 2010

Ellen Rowe's uniquely modern sensibility echoes throughout Wishing Well. Rowe is a virtuoso pianist who blends the dreamy abstractions of nineteenth century impressionism with the nervous energy of a bebop player. She plays as she breathes--sometimes in shallow gasps indicating an extreme sense of urgency, and at other times in seemingly endless runs with dallying notes and interminable phrases as if her lungs, filled with air, have propelled her arms and fingers into an endless sequence of events. Both aspects ...

Ellen Rowe Quartet: Wishing Well

by Woodrow Wilkins
May 15, 2010

Sometimes, less is more. In the case of Wishing Well, the Ellen Rowe Quartet delivers plenty of good sound, simply by playing rather than trying to be trendy. Rowe has been part of groups led by musicians as diverse as Ray Charles and John Zorn. Born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, she began playing piano by ear at the age of 4. Her jazz studies began in high school. Accompanying Rowe are saxophonist Andrew Bishop, bassist Kurt Krahnke ...

Ellen Rowe Quartet: Wishing Well

by Bruce Lindsay
May 2, 2010

Wishing Well is a beautifully crafted second album from the Ellen Rowe Quartet. Composer, arranger and pianist Rowe, a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Music, formed the quartet in 2002, releasing her debut, Denali Pass (PKO Records), in 2005. Two albums in an eight-year history ensures that the band will never be labeled as prolific, but sometimes the best things are worth waiting for--and Wishing Well has certainly been worth the wait. The ...

Ellen Rowe: Sylvan Way

by J. Robert Bragonier
October 8, 2003

Jazz pianist and composer Ellen Rowe currently serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Jazz Studies at the University of Michigan. Sylvan Way is her first CD as leader; she has been a guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on National Public Radio and has performed with jazz artists such as Kenny Wheeler, Tim Ries, Tom Harrell, John Clayton, Ingrid Jensen and Jiggs Whigham.

On this effort she has surrounded herself predominantly with rhythm sections from the Detroit area. ...