Noah Preminger is old enough to be called a master of the saxophone and still young enough to know there are dimensions in the instrument he has not yet found, leaving room for the thrill of the unexpected. His seasoned quartet seems to know one another so well that they can each take real chances in playing, knowing they will never stray too far.
At the Jazz Standard, Preminger, along with his band mates Matt Clohesy (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums), was joined by five-time Grammy nominee Fred Hersch on piano for an all-too-short evening of masterful playing. Beginning with a startling rendition of “Try A Little Tenderness”, each player set the stage for himself and the quartet as a whole.
The variety of material was exciting, and it included Preminger’s own darkly sweet “My Blues For You” and a lovely rendition of “Porcelain” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers that you’d never know wasn’t originally conceived as a jazz composition.
Preminger’s style is always muscular, yet he doesn’t hesitate to venture into the ethereal. With his quartet (especially the astonishing Royston) a dreamlike sound is built slowly before being fearlessly explored. When Royston brazenly increased his tempo as Preminger was slowing his way down, the effect was magical, sometimes creating the sensation of a pleasurable fever dream.
Clohesy is a master of his instrument, and he never faded into the background as so many bassists do. His phrasing is clear and his tone is like tightly drawn velvet. Just like Preminger and Royston, he soared into uncharted territory before landing right on the spot where his band mates were waiting for him.
Fred Hersch played beautifully, but never took the stage like I was hoping he would. His quasi-solo moments were strong and lyrical, yet he seemed a bit reigned in.
The highlight for me was a piece called “Blues For Steve Lacy”, a moving piece dedicated to the late master of soprano saxophone who was an idol of Preminger’s. Sweet and melancholy without being sentimental, it was the apex of an evening of fine music.
