The Empress - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

Square One
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Label: Cellar Music Group

Square One is the debut release from The Empress a newly formed all-female saxophone quartet. The project, spearheaded by award-winning jazz artist Pureum Jin breathes new life into classic jazz standards while making a powerful statement about representation and artistry in the jazz world. Along with Jin, The Empress comprises two-time Grammy Award-winning baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian (also the album’s production advisor), internationally acclaimed alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, and versatile tenor saxophonist Chelsea Baratz. Supporting the quartet is a rock-solid rhythm section consisting of Steve Ash (piano), Joey Ranieri (bass), and Pete Van Nostrand (drums).

“Sometimes it can be challenging to keep my career moving forward, especially with the late-night jam sessions,” shares Jin, a mother of two young children. “Jazz is still a world where being a parent can make things a bit harder to manage.” Rather than acquiesce to these challenges, Jin envisioned a new stage for herself and her peers—one that would honor jazz icons like Charlie Parker and John Coltrane while providing a platform for women instrumentalists. That vision became Square One, a collection of jazz standards and originals performed with reverence and vitality. It’s a testament to the timelessness of the genre and the boundless talent of its contributors.

The release of Square One coincides with a meaningful cultural moment. “This project represents a fresh start, not just for me but for women in jazz,” says Jin. “It’s about showing that we can play this very hardcore music and making space for underrepresented voices.” It is only fitting that the album releases during Women’s History Month.

Jin’s inspiration for Square One traces back to her time as the only female member of Michael Lutzeier’s ‘Supersax Korea’ project in the early 2010s. Lutzeier’s timeless arrangements stayed with Jin for over a decade and now form the backbone of Square One. The album includes two originals by Lutzeier (“Instant Composure” and “Reminiscing”) as well as Jin’s own lush arrangements of “Everything Happens to Me,” dedicated to Charlie Parker and Strings, “Stablemates”, “Milestones” and more.

The album was recorded at the iconic Van Gelder Recording Studio, a dream Jin had nurtured for years. Engineered by Maureen Sickler and produced by Jin herself, Square One channels the fervor and improvisational spirit of New York’s legendary jazz clubs.

“The tempi are blistering, the tunes classic, and the solos bold and nimble,” writes journalist Natalie Weiner in the album’s liner notes. “Tunes like ‘Stablemates’ and ‘Milestones’ hearken back to a time when jazz’s machismo was even more unrelenting than it is now, so to hear them reclaimed by a band led by a quartet of women is all the more invigorating.”

Square One is intended to represent more than just a new record; it’s a movement. Jin and her collaborators demonstrate that mastery of jazz’s building blocks can coexist with a push for equity and inclusion. By bringing together musicians of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Jin’s ensemble showcases the possibilities of a more inclusive jazz landscape. “It’s definitely getting better,” Jin notes, “but there is still more work to be done, and I want to be a part of it. I just want to show that we can also play this very hardcore music. That, simply, is my message.”

With Square One, The Empress invites listeners to experience the power and joy of jazz from a perspective that is as overdue as it is exhilarating.