Noah Preminger: Dark Days

Noah Preminger possesses one of the most beautiful tones in jazz, and he knows it. He is not inclined to tarnish that sound—nor should he. It is the product of years of rigorous work. His challenge, rather, lies in his relative youth, in jazz terms. Admired already, Preminger also understands that his best years likely lie ahead. His well-regarded album Ballads (Chill Tone 2025) confirms his lyric gifts, yet it also raises the question: What next? Think of Coltrane—could one follow him into those blind alleys of exploration? That is the dilemma at hand: how to move forward.

Preminger has shown he cares deeply about the world around him. " Dark Days", recorded in December 2024, is not merely about waning light. Preminger has stated that artists should strive to "really matter," jazz musicians included. To him, relevance means engaging with larger social and cultural conversations—an ethos that animates this project.

This is a relatively new group. Drummer Terreon Gully adds a vital percussive edge, an invigorating seasoning, to the band's sound. Gully's stylistic reach encompasses straight-ahead and avant-garde jazz, funk, fusion, Afro-Cuban music, big band, drum and bass, R&B, hip-hop, pop and gospel. Few drummers are so adaptable. Across genres, he brings both respect and invention.

Bassist Kim Cass has long been a crucial Preminger collaborator. He has extended the physical and harmonic possibilities of the upright bass, deploying harmonics, unusual fingerings, and complex rhythmic conceptions. Cass treats the instrument as an expanded, almost chordal, voice, not merely as a timekeeping device.

Guitarist Ely Perlman is a strong new voice within the ensemble. His slightly abrasive tone cuts through the blend, providing an essential contrast. The startling opening of "Hymn #1 (For Moving On)" establishes that tension beautifully—a reminder that too much beauty can, as Preminger clearly knows, become enervating.

The surprise is Don Cherry's "Moptic." Its pulsating rhythm suits this group perfectly, drawing Preminger away from his usual ballad terrain. With Gully's drive, Perlman's angularity, and Cass' mastery of shifting pulses—all of it grounded in that "Old and New Dreams" South African groove—Preminger finds fresh propulsion. "FTSC" is the most conventional track here, distinguished by Perlman's variegated solo and by Preminger's ability to soar without ever sacrificing tonal control.

"Casa Pueblo" stands out as the album's most seductive piece—a melody that insinuates itself into the listener's memory. Preminger's long, lyrical tenor phrases glide through the tune as Perlman and Cass offer sensitive, understated support. "Sarajevo with Neira," inspired by a visit with his former wife, evokes the city's tragic history and emotional complexity. The guitar solo extends the melancholy melody, deepening its resonance. The title track, "Dark Days," moves at a deliberate, elegiac pace, Cass and Gully underpinning a lament whose yearning tenor line seems to mourn time itself.

Preminger's recent work reveals a distinct career pattern: revisiting historically remote material—film scores, classical works, sacred medieval music—and filtering it through a contemporary improviser's lens. His 2025 release, Ballads, on Chill Tone casts him as a modern master of the slow-tempo form. By now, his discography exceeds 20 albums, ranging from political statements and composer tributes to standards recitals and boldly original explorations.

This new recording, saturated with Preminger's sumptuous tone and intellectual rigor, stands well above the conventional jazz session. Six of its compositions are his own, each inviting reflection. The album confirms Preminger not only as a lyrical tenorist but also as an artist thinking intently about what it means to make meaningful jazz in our time.

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