The following is jazz journalist Morgan Enos’s interview with saxophonist, arranger, and composer Pureum Jin, baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian, and saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator Erena Terakubo.
They are three fourths of The Empress, an all-female saxophone quartet, whose debut album Square One will be released 21 March via Cellar Music Group. (Due to her touring schedule, Baratz couldn’t make the call; this column plans to catch up with her ASAP.) Square One is rounded out by the rhythm section of pianist Steve Ash, bassist Joey Ranieri, and drummer Pete Van Nostrand. Links to pre-order Square One and the artists’ websites can be found at the end of this article.
“I just want to show that we can also play this very hardcore music,” Pureum Jin, the nexus for the formation of the Empress, explains in Square One’s liner notes. The obvious connotation: in straight-ahead jazz, it’s rare to find a four-woman saxophone line.
But the adjective ‘hardcore’ is arguably most interesting. For Jin, it opens a sort of Pandora’s box.
“There are a lot of great female players on the scene, but somehow, they’re still underrated,” Jin says. “That’s why I want to play with a very raw intensity, with skilful improvisation. To show the people that women can play. So, maybe it’s a little aggressive; it’s kind of hardcore for me.”
For her part, Lauren Sevian plays the bari, which skews masculine as far as jazz’s current representation goes.
“On one hand, I embrace these definitions, because that’s what we’ve been taught,” she says of Square One, recorded at the hallowed Van Gelder Studio. “On the other hand, I challenge all of those definitions. So, I think this group is a great representation of both filling and challenging that stereotype.”
Read on for more of Jin, Sevian, and Terakubo’s reflections on Square One, a burning program of originals (Michael Lutzeier’s ‘Instant Composure’ and ‘Reminiscing’) as well as standards like ‘But Not For Me’, ‘Stablemates’, and ‘Milestones’.
UK Jazz News: Where’d the name The Empress come from?
Pureum Jin: Lauren picked the name.
Lauren Sevian: I think we were brainstorming, actually, what would be a cool name for the group, the front line of the four female saxophonists. I was just thinking of strength and grace – those kinds of qualities.
PJ: I really like the name because I wanted something very intense, but not, like, a warrior thing. Something fresh is good for women.
Erena Terakubo: Literally yesterday, I translated what ’empress’ means. [Laughs]
UKJN: How did you four creatively gravitate to each other?
PJ: It’s all my connection. I’m sure all three girls already knew each other as well.
But I met Lauren when I did an artist residency at the University of Virginia, when I was living there. I had a chance to invite her as a guest artist to play with me. Chelsea sat in with me at a gig I played in Charlottesville. And I think Erena and I moved to New York City at almost the same time.
ET: Pureum was running a jam session at the International House, a little space right next to the Manhattan School of Music.
PJ: It’s kind of a dorm, actually – a bunch of international students live there. But there’s a small area in the basement, where they have a piano and other music gear. So, we would sometimes play there, and I asked [Erena] to come in.
Erena was a really precious friend for me, because we play the same instrument, and we’re both from Asia. Again, we moved to New York at almost the same time. Besides Chelsea, we all went to MSM at different times. So, that’s how I met all of them, and I gathered them together because I thought it would be a really interesting, fun group.
UKJN: University aside, which schools of the saxophone would you say you all came from?
LS: As far as the baritone saxophone is concerned, I’ve listened to a lot of Pepper Adams, so I’m definitely coming from that type of sound. But as to what I’ve transcribed the most, it would have to be a toss up between Pepper Adams and Atlantic[-era] Coltrane.
UKJN: I love that era of Trane. So underrated.
LS: I really agree. [1964’s] Coltrane Sound is my all-time favourite Trane record. I mean, any Trane, right? But for me, there’s something really special about that era that I felt so connected to.
ET: Cannonball [Adderley], Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, and Phil Woods are who I transcribed the most.
PJ: I started to play jazz because of John Coltrane. When I first heard his music, I was really shocked – What was that? What was that? – because before that, I had just started playing saxophone in a classical [context]. I didn’t know much about jazz. But that’s how I started getting interested in it.
I also love all the alto giants: Charlie Parker, J-Mac. But my first love in jazz was Coltrane.
UKJN: How did you guys come to work with Steve, Joey, and Pete in the rhythm section?
LS: I had never played with Steve or Joey. Pete, I had known for several years and played with a little bit, but not a ton. But I felt like it was pretty seamless. I thought they were all excellent choices, and it was great making music with them.
ET: I can’t believe Joey is only 21, or something.
LS: An old soul.
UKJN: Can you talk about the standards you chose?
PJ: I mean, creating something fresh and new is a really important task and part of being a musician. But at the same time, I get a little tired of playing original compositions. I just want to play jazz, and I feel like a lot of jazz fans also feel the same way.
Recently, there’s been a lot of new creations: new songs, new music, new bands, blah, blah. I want to capture that raw intensity in jazz – relying on the improvisation skills of the individual players, while still focusing on the ensemble.
That’s why I chose to include classic, well-known tunes in the band, and I hope people like it as much as I do.
LS: The arrangements [by Michael Lutzeier] were extremely challenging, at least for me, especially as a bari player. I was trying to navigate some of these parts, thinking, Wow, these were written by a bari player, so I’d better get my act together.
But I had a great time. I felt really comfortable. I don’t know, everyone’s different – but if I’m at a session and I feel uneasy or nervous, that’s a very bad sign. But I felt comfortable with the studio; I felt comfortable with the sound; I felt comfortable with everyone that was on the project. So, for me, the vibe was way up.
And I think the product speaks for itself. Just listening to what I’ve heard so far, I’m so excited about it. It was a great couple of days.
