Ellen Rowe’s new record, Vinton’s Cove, feels like a quiet getaway — the kind of place where the water barely ripples, the birds call back and forth across the lake, and the days move a little slower.
Her quartet settles into that mood right away on “The Loons of Vinton’s Cove.” Rowe sets the tune in motion with a few clear, well-shaped piano phrases, opening it like sunlight on the lake. Mike Sakash’s sax slips in behind her, relaxed and almost weightless.
The melody is simple, the groove easy, and Rowe’s solo stays focused and concise — right-hand lines that glide forward while her left hand tucks in soft supporting chords. The rhythm section keeps the tune grounded. Dennis Carroll’s bass has a melodic lean to it, choosing notes that fit the mood, and Pete Siers ’brushwork keeps everything steady and warm.
What jumps out is how good this album sounds. Recorded at Willis Sound — a renovated Michigan church outfitted with old-style reverb plates — the music has a warm, open feel to it. Those plates are basically large metal sheets that vibrate when sound hits them, creating a natural, rounded echo that engineers used on countless classic Blue Note records.
It adds a little space around the instruments without making anything feel washed out. Rowe’s piano has a clear, ringing presence, Sakash’s sax sits comfortably in the room, and the rhythm section comes through with real definition.
“Refractions” leans into the album’s calm, inviting atmosphere. Sakash’s soprano glides effortlessly over Rowe’s steady, lyrical piano lines, creating a sense of space that feels open and natural. The drums are light and understated, letting the melody breathe, and the tune unfolds with a gentle, relaxed confidence.
Instead of easing in, Rowe drops a bold opening line and Sakash answers right away in “Clipped In Blues.” There’s some early back-and-forth that gives the tune a little spark before the rhythm section settles them into a understated shuffle. Even then, Rowe keeps the solo smooth, almost like she’s choosing not to lean too hard even when the door’s open.
Sunny Wilkinson appears on two tracks, and her presence changes the texture of the music. On “The Phoenix,” she floats mostly in the upper register with a delicate, multi-octave voice that can drop down smoothly when the tune calls for it. She scats effortlessly, weaving around flurries of Rowe’s piano, which mirrors her lightness.
She scats effortlessly, weaving around Rowe’s flurries of piano that echo her lightness Sakash plays quietly, letting her take the lead, while Siers delivers a short but tasty drum solo that pushes the momentum. When the vocal returns, the interplay between voice, piano, and sax has already created a sense of playful lift.
On “Sylvan Way,” Wilkinson sings in a lower, warmer register, using light vibrato and phrasing that’s poised and conversational. She never pushes the sound — it’s expressive without needing volume or theatrics, and Rowe’s piano responds in kind, giving the vocal space to shine.
Rowe’s version of “Both Sides Now” takes the song to an uncommonly slow, introspective pace. It’s lovely and lyrical, leaning into a more melancholy side than the original, giving the song a reflective, deeply expressive mood. “All The Things You Are” moves at a comfortable mid-tempo, letting the band stretch out just enough, while the closer, “I’ll Remember April,” brings a brighter, West Coast-style energy, complete with tempo shifts the group navigates effortlessly.
It’s lakeside music in every sense: still water, steady breeze, no storms coming in. Lovely, but so even that after a while the horizon starts to look the same. Still, the album is a pleasure to hear — Rowe’s touch on the piano is warm and precise, Sakash’s sax floats effortlessly, and Carroll and Siers provide a rhythm section that’s both subtle and nimble.
Sunny Wilkinson’s vocals add sparkling highlights. Vinton’s Cove is recorded beautifully: the natural reverb of Willis Sound gives every note room to breathe, making the quartet’s interplay feel immediate and alive. It may not shock or surprise, but there’s a refined skill and an undeniable charm here that make the album quietly rewarding.
<Liner Notes – “Vinton’s Cove” Ellen Rowe Quartet featuring Mike Sakash, saxophonist and special guest vocalist Sunny Wilkinson.
Vinton’s Cove is located in Maine, but not the touristy, coastal part of Maine that most people are familiar with. It is located instead on Kezar Lake, a nine-mile-long jewel tucked in halfway up the Maine/New Hampshire border and is the site of our family cabin, built in the mid 1950’s.
Several of the pieces on this album were either written there or were inspired by the nature there, including the title track, “The Loons of Vinton’s Cove”, which was written in tribute to the pair of Common Loons that have tried to nest there for the last five years. Unfortunately, their attempts have been unsuccessful so far due to egg-grabbing raccoons. A group of loon experts and enthusiasts known as the “Loon Rangers” build floating raft nests, patrol the lake checking on loon pairs and nests and generally providing advocacy and education for lake residents. This tune is also written in honor of their efforts!
“Refractions” was inspired by the different ways in which light refracts in a prism or in water (thinking about the sunlight on our cove, for example); I tried to explore ways in which a single note can seemingly “refract”, change color or resolve in different directions, depending on its relationship to the given chord at that moment. Mike Sakash’s soprano sax on this is exquisite and captures the mood perfectly. “Clipped In Blues” was written after an embarrassing (and only slightly painful) bike accident that occurred while I was chatting with a neighbor at the end of my driveway but forgot that I still had one foot clipped into the pedals and fell over attempting to dismount. I’ve painted not-so-subtle imagery of the event into the piece. On “The Phoenix” I got to collaborate with my great friend Sunny Wilkinson, extraordinary vocalist, lyricist, educator and potter. She provided wonderful lyrics for the tune and perfectly captured the spirit and energy of the piece in her performance.
Kenny Wheeler is one of my musical heroes. A remarkable trumpeter and flugelhornist, composer and arranger, he was one of the most humble and unassuming people I have ever known. “Kind Folk” is a perfect example of his ability to craft beautiful melodies and chords that make perfect sense but move in unexpected ways. We feature our great bassist Dennis Carroll on this one as well as Mike, this time on alto sax. “Ebb & Flow” is a showcase for drummer Pete Siers who has been with me on all but one of my albums. I am so fortunate that he lives less than two miles away from me! He and his wife Steph helped inspire me to get into long distance running and high-altitude mountaineering (thanks guys!).
I grew up listening to Carole King, Carly Simon, Judy Collins and of course, Joni Mitchell. Reworking songs that are as iconic as “Both Sides Now” can be a dangerous proposition, but this was done with great love and respect, and I’d like to think she would approve if she ever got to hear it. Speaking of iconic tunes, “All The Things You Are” has always been one of my favorite tunes to improvise over, even if the melody itself is not especially inspiring. I have given it a slightly different twist by cleverly (if I do say so myself) reversing the direction of the time-honored Parker/Gillespie intro and allowing that to set the tone for the treatment. “Sylvan Way” is the very first tune that I ever committed to paper and played with others. I actually wrote it at our cabin on Vinton’s Cove and it is the title of my first CD, recorded back in 2001. Once again, Sunny Wilkinson provides lyrics that perfectly capture the mood that I intended. We opted to do this duo to celebrate our great friendship and musical sympatico. We close the album with our arrangement of “I’ll Remember April”. While I provided the treatment of the melody, Dennis provided the nice new set of changes that we improvise over initially.
It would be an understatement to say that the world is not a particularly happy place right now. I hope that the music on this album can provide some balm for wounded souls or at least a brief respite from the stress and chaos of current events.
For CD sleeve pocket: I feel so blessed to have been able to bring this group of wonderful musicians together for this album. Their sensitivity, amazing musicianship and great energy made this a very special project for me. This would not have been possible without the talents of our terrific engineer Ben Lorenz and his invitation to come record at his studio, Willis Sound (with reverb plates in the basement!). His belief in the project has meant the world to me. Chris Goosman did a fabulous job of mastering for us and Ted Chesky provided the great artwork and design layout. The cover photo credit goes to my brother Randy Rowe, who is lucky enough to see Vinton’s Cove every day. The beautiful loon photo was taken by Laura Robinson – artist, photographer and Loon Ranger extraordinaire. Special thanks to the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance for providing financial support for this project. Thanks also to Smokin’ Sleddog Records’ Jamie-Sue Seal, who has been a constant source of support and to Lydia Liebman for her promotional brilliance and professional acumen.
This album is dedicated to the combined Rowe and Vinton clans who have celebrated the beauty of Vinton’s Cove together for over 75 years. And, of course, the loons>,- an interview with us said Ellen Rowe
We also recommend that you purchase this CD from here and enjoy it..
1. The Loons of Vinton’s Cove
2. Refractions
3. Clipped In Blues
4. The Phoenix
5. Kind Folk
6. Ebb & Flow
7. Both Sides Now
8. All The Things You Are
9. Sylvan Way
10. I’ll Remember April
Ellen Rowe – Piano
Mike Sakash – Saxophones
Dennis Carroll – Bass
Pete Siers – Drums
Featured Guest:
Sunny Wilkinson – Vocals
