Noah Preminger
Dry Bridge Road
"A young jazz tenor saxophonist, a first recording, a dispatch from the land of ingrown melodies and long, searching solos: we’ve seen this a lot in New York over the last 10 years. But Mr. Preminger’s album “Dry Bridge Road” (Nowt) is unusually graceful, and it’s made with five of the better musicians now in New York.
Mr. Preminger plays with care and dry precision, dividing his time among all registers, with even tone and projection in each. When he’s in possession of a good ballad melody, he plays it slowly, either in a duet with the guitarist Ben Monder (“A Dream”) or with piano, bass and drums (Frank Kimbrough, John Hebert and Ted Poor). When he’s working on free-bop over fast grooves, he does it with an Ornette Coleman-like band setup, with no pianist and the trumpeter Russ Johnson (“Today Is Okay”). When he wants to play free, he works up to it slowly, as a natural climax of a very composed piece (“Was It a Rat I Saw?”). And when he admits a debt to the straight-eighth-note improvising style of the saxophonist Warne Marsh, he picks something from Marsh’s own repertory (“Sax of a Kind”). More than just a promising starting point, this is a display of integrity; here’s a musician you feel you can trust." - Ben Ratliff, New York Times, Sunday, Aug. 3rd, 2008
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"Debut records are occasionally prophetic of a young musician's future work. A recent graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, 22-year-old Boston-based tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger's impressive premiere, Dry Bridge Road, offers a tantalizing glimpse into the future of an up-and-coming artist.
Joined by Russ Johnson (trumpet), Ben Monder (guitar), Frank Kimbrough (piano), John Hebert (bass) and Ted Poor (drums), Preminger leads a top-drawer crew through a program of inventive originals and choice cover tunes that range from understated ballads to raucous free improvisations. As a testament to his nascent abilities, Preminger easily holds his own in the company of seasoned veterans.
A nuanced stylist with a breathy, supple tone, Preminger's tender elucidations on the brief tone poem “A Dream” and the languorous “Where Seagulls Fly” are heartfelt expressions of surprising maturity. Dave Douglas' “Blues for Steve Lacy” is given a similarly lyrical performance, with soulful contributions from Preminger and company. The variable dynamics of “Luke” inspire Preminger's impressionistic side, with harmonious contributions from Ben Monder and Frank Kimbrough, whose effervescent pianism enriches “Where Seagulls Fly.”
Preminger's aesthetic scope embraces an expansive dynamic range, demonstrated by his fleet-fingered bop runs on “Today is Okay” and Lee Konitz's “Sax of a Kind.” Preminger and Johnson coil interweaving lines through a maze of shifting tempos on the former tune, with the leader's vibrant circuitous solo flight followed by a climactic series of thematic variations from Johnson. The Konitz tune proves Preminger has done his homework, as he and Monder careen through the changes with quicksilver aplomb.
Supported by an elastic rhythm section and vibrant contributions from his front-line partners, the album's final three tunes feature Preminger's most adventurous playing. The oblique angles of “Was It a Rat I Saw?” escalate into a frenetic duel between the leader's gruff tenor and Monder's fuzz-toned guitar. “Real Nice” offers a masterful blend of inside/outside dynamics, as a silver-toned melody wafts through an atmospheric, elliptical groove that builds in waves of epic, Coltrane-like fervor from Preminger and Johnson. The album closes on the rousing “Rhythm for Robert,” as Johnson delivers a passionate, Spanish-tinged performance over a dark, loping rhythm before the tune shifts gears and Monder metes out scorching sustain to an abstracted rock pulse.
History is full of debut records by young jazz musicians who drift into obscurity. Although Dry Bridge Road initially starts off deceptively low-key, it reveals great promise as it progresses, ending on a high note. A young artist with great potential, you'll likely hear more about Noah Preminger in the future." - Troy Collins - All About Jazz, July 25, 2008
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"Preminger, a young saxophonist born and raised in the Hartford, CT, area, has just issued his debut recording and the music should turn listeners' heads and ears.
In a time when CD sales are slow (and jazz sales even slower), Preminger could have easily taken the "safe" road and recorded a batch of standards. Instead, 6 of the 9 tracks are originals and the other compositions are inspired choices.
Producer John McNeil, the trumpeter and educator, advised the saxophonist (his student at the New England Conservatory of Music) on the selection of his "group." On initial listening,it seems as if the driving force of the sextet is the young drummer Ted Poor while the anchor is bassist John Hebert (Andrew Hill Trio, Fred Hersch.) Guitarist Ben Monder, whose sonic choices are so important to the Maria Schneider Orchestra, teams up with Poor to push the music in unexpected directions. Pianist Frank Kimbrough (also in the Maria Schneider Orchestra) does not appear on every track but he, too, is a soloist who picks up on the emotion of the compositions and creates beautiful musical statements. Trumpeter Russ Johnson (Other Quartet, Lee Konitz's New Nonet) rounds out the group and the sound. His sweet yet tart tone and edgy solos are a good partner to the leader's rounder tenor saxophone sound.
As for the tracks, one is immediately struck by the maturity of the compositions. The rhythmic patters often suggest the sound of the Miles Davis Quintet of the mid-to-late 1960s, the group that featured Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams and Ron Carter. The bass and drums make pieces such as the opening track "Luke" and "Today is Okay" breathe - the dynamic variations catch the listener's attention and those variations give the soloists have the freedom to explore. Adding Kimbrough's piano and Monder's guitar to the mix picks up on both the meditative and melodic quality of the songs.
"A Dream" is just that, a slow and contemplative saxophone melody framed here by Monder's folk-like guitar backing. Not unlike Joe Zawinul's "In A Silent Way" or a work by Erik Satie, the brevity of the performance (just over 2 minutes) does not hinder its strength nor lessen its beauty. "Where Seagulls Fly" is also a ballad but here the saxophonist stretches out, caressing the melody while delivering a mature and poetical solo. The piano solo is so lyrical and calm yet has phrases that move like breezes on a spring day.
Preminger and Monder gallop through the opening phrases of Lee Konitz's "Sax of a Kind." Poor then takes a short, pithy,break before Monder goes on a "bop" romp, flying over the rhythm section. The saxophonist follows with his own playful jaunt, with lots of notes showing he's got the technical stuff down. What's so good about this solo is that, even though he's playing very fast, he does not overplay or honk or squeal.
Noah Preminger may be in his early 20s but the maturity of his musical choices shows he's a good listener and very talented. One might ask "how could he not sound good on the cd surrounded by such great musicians?" Well, I saw him recently in a live setting with guitarist Will Graefe and the splendid young bassist Aryeh Kobrinsky and his playing showed a musician comfortable with his sound and playing solos that eschewed cliches (the same way he approaches the songs on the recording.) He rarely sounded tentative in the crowded space alongside his good friends.
"Dry Bridge Road" is a very strong start to what one hopes is a long and creative career. For more information and to hear selections from the disk, go to www.noahpreminger.com. - Richard Kamins, Hartford Courant, July 27, 2008
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"Don't know what's been going on lately, but this is another in a series of sexy sax records that show there's more to the ax than smooth jazz in it's future. Surrounding himself with this hippest of New York cats with chops galore, this smoking debut is a grand statement in the Coltrane tradition but only as a guiding light, not a homage or a rip off. Anyone that can tip the cap to Warne Marsh may be too hip for the room, but he can be counted on for some lyrical, power playing with fast and furious notes that aren't just a fusillading salvo. This cat is proof the future has bright lights." - Chris Spector, Editor and Publisher MIDWEST RECORD - July 11, 2008
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"Noah's 1 August 2008 release has 6 out of 9 tracks that are all original compositions, with more than just "verve" and high talent going for them... the sextet he's assembled is just "tight"... this album is a clear-cut keeper, & will ride in my car rack with me (a place of honor, one might say)... You'll find Noah's jazz well-founded & most enjoyable... It certainly merits the HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating for jazz listeners everywhere!" - Dick Metcalf, aka Rotcod Zzaj
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"Tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger serves as a powerful front-line partner..." -Jim Santella - Jazz Improv Magazine (Jan. 3, 2006)
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"Noah's understanding of the current jazz idiom is without parallel... Noah is a monster on the sax. He possesses the technique, touch and sensitivity of an elder, plus the knowledge and brains to excel as a professional musician."
- Jerry Bergonzi - musician/performer/educator (November, 2007)
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"[Noah] has shown a great intelligence in understanding and playing with sound of all kinds, a marvelous ability to make apt meptaphors, and a control of tone unusual in someone his age... [he has] a deep comprehension of the parallels between music and poetry and an uncanny ability to express the landscape and sonority of the poem in his own language."
- Ruth Lepson - poet (November, 2007), on Noah's music & poetry
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"Noah is an excellent reader and a truly inspired soloist. Noah has one of the richest, most fully-developed tenor saxophone sounds that I've ever heard. And he has an unusally fierce and uncompromising commitment to making music at the highest level."
- Ken Schaphorst - musician/composer/educator(November, 2007)
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"You sound fantastic — relaxed, creative, varied."
- Allan Chase - musician/educator (March, 2008)
Mentionings:
Shoreline Times - http://www.shorepublishing.com/re.aspx?re=fd063904-7939-4ec5-a222-e7d184853093 - 1/11/08 - by johnson
Guilford Courrier - 1/9/08 - by johnson
New Haven Register - 1/9/08 - by johnson
Montreal Gazette - "...Noah Preminger... build[s] largely atonal, forcefully lyrical solos..." - 7/1/07 - by kinner
SPLIT STREAM:
"Great music... fantastic group, concept, individuality and everything"
- Dave Liebman
"I had the privilege of checking these young lions out every week and I must say I was blown away at their unique approach to music. Their compositions are amazing and their level of talent is second to none."
- Jerry Bergonzi
"Split Stream is an exciting, cutting-edge group that balances compositional rigor and variety with energetic, raw improvisation. I was surprised at the range of sounds and textures that these six musicians created, and the way they were able to blend ideas from jazz, rock, and new music into a meaningful whole. The soloists are strong and each piece is an adventure."
- Allan Chase
"The six members of the New England Conservatory student ensemble Split Stream are diverse, hailing from California, Connecticut, Colorado, and Texas. Yet on “The Cranning Call,” the cohesive sextet displays lessons learned at the preeminent music school (where their instructors include Ran Blake, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Bob Moses, and Billy Hart). Pianist Eric Lane, saxophonist Noah Preminger, trumpeter Vivek Patel, and guitarist Jesse Ward show traces of Blake’s classical-meets-jazz “Third Stream” teachings (hence their band name) in the stuttering piece, which shifts in and out of a 5/8 time signature. Doing the shifting are bassist Danny Weller and drummer Matthew Rousseau."
- Jazziz, Oct. 2006
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