Ellen Rowe has been making news recently—and one of the biggest bits of info is buried inside a new feature profile of the jazz pianist.

First, in November 2025, the University of Michigan Arthur F. Thurnau professor and Earl V. Moore Collegiate professor of music in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance released Vinton's Cove, her sixth album as a leader. Rowe's record label, Smokin' Sleddog, said this about the record: "The album features six original compositions by Rowe ... showcasing a range of jazz styles. ... [Rowe] presents arrangements of jazz and pop standards that cast them in a slightly different light, interpreting them through varied harmonic approaches and diverse musical feels."

Then, on January 19, 2026, there was an announcement that Rowe given the Rhetaugh G. Dumas award for her "sustained efforts to promote gender diversity in jazz ensemble composition and arranging, and overall commitment to advancing the role of women in jazz." Rowe is the first woman chair of a major university jazz department, and she's among the first female directors of a university jazz ensemble. “Under her leadership," wrote Melody Racine, associate professor emerita of music, theatre and dance, in a nominating letter, "the U-M jazz program recruited more female students than any other jazz program of a comparable size in the country.”

Finally, in the February 2026 issue of Downbeat, the music industry's leading jazz magazine, Rowe is interviewed about Vinton's Cove and her career, and a major life update was reported:

About midway through the piece, the writer says Rowe will retire from her position at U-M in May. There are no quotes from Rowe about retiring or her plans, but they will almost certainly include gigging with her trio, quartet, quintet, and beyond.

Some of Rowe's most popular performances are her regular "All About the Trio" Sunday shows at Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. There are three currently on the Concert House schedule:

Sunday, March 15 - 2-4 pm
"The Genius of Dave Brubeck"

Sunday, April 19 - 2-4 pm
"But Not For Me: The Evolution of a Jazz Standard"

Sunday, May 10 - 2-4 pm
"Ellen Rowe’s Annual Mother’s Day Concert – A Celebration of Women in Jazz"

But prior to those Kerrytown trio shows, Rowe will appear at Blue LLama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor on Friday, March 6, with her quartet as part of the "WEMU 5:01 Jazz Series." Doors open at 4 pm; the show's at 5:01 pm. There is no cover for the show, but reservations are required as it will be full.

Pulp last profiled Rowe in January 2019, soon after the release of her previous album, Momentum: Portraits of Women in Motion.