Jazz Articles

Kenosha Kid: Steamboat Bill, Jr

by Phil DiPietro
March 27, 2009

Guitarist Dan Nettles may still make his home where he grew up in Athens, Georgia, but musically he knows no bounds--geographical or otherwise. Neither, it seems, do the members of his far-flung collective; his Kenosha Kids, as it were. Listening to, among others, Athens' killing rhythm section of Jeff Reilly on drums and Neal Fountain on electric bass, as well as Seattle's tenor man Greg Sinibaldi, Berlin's (by way of Canada) altoist Peter VanHuffel, New York's transplanted Georgian Dave Nelson ...

Noah Preminger: Dry Bridge Road

by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
December 12, 2008

Readers and theatre-goers probably found Anton Chekhov disquieting when they first encountered his work at the turn of the twentieth century. Here was a guy who used nineteenth-century materials--the bourgeois drawing room, issues of social class, well-behaved prose--to depict what would become emblematic twentieth-century themes: psychology, anomie, the little heart breaks of daily life.Wunderkind Noah Preminger's will provide a similar kind of temporal displacement for listeners. Just as with Chekhov, there is a tension between the musical materials--a ...

Brinsk: A Hamster Speaks

by Budd Kopman
October 27, 2008

If only from the title, A Hamster Speaks and the anime/manga cover art, where a very battered and partially mechanically enhanced hamster is saving his world from an evil viper, you know that you are in for a trip--and quite a wonderful trip it is. Upright bassist and composer Aryeh Kobrinsky formed Brinsk to incarnate his vision (or, if you will, hallucination) of hamsters singing classical operatic arias over metal-rock based rhythms. However, the band is acoustic ...

Noah Preminger: Dry Bridge Road

by Eyal Hareuveni
October 19, 2008

It is quite rare to confront such a mature and convincing statement by a 22-year-old musician, but the debut release of Boston-based graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger is such a rare gem. Preminger's musical vision encompasses impressions of left-of-center cerebral sax heroes such as Steve Lacy and Warne Marsh, well-articulated and sophisticated original compositions and a confident command. He also managed to cast excellent and experienced players for his group--Russ Johnson on ...

Noah Preminger: Dry Bridge Road

by Stuart Broomer
September 8, 2008

This is Noah Preminger's recording debut and it's an impressive one for the 22-year-old tenor saxophonist, who carries recommendations from players as forceful as Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone and Dave Liebman. It's not just technique that distinguishes Preminger; it's the quality of his musical thought, the depth of his interaction and his sense of a broader tradition. There are no standards here, but Preminger covers two tunes that suggest key associations: Dave Douglas' “Blues for Steve Lacy" ...

Noah Preminger Group: Dry Bridge Road

by Jerry D'Souza
August 20, 2008

The consequences of investigating a debut recording are often unknown. In the case of saxophonist Noah Preminger the result is, quite simply, positive. He is a player who invests much thought into his playing. He is rich in churning dense, atmospheric forms with an occasional composition having a lighter ambience. Whatever the stance, the underlying appeal is constant.

Preminger's writing revolves around different styles. He often picks up a new angle, with dexterity, within a composition. It's a ...

Noah Preminger Group: Dry Bridge Road

by Michael P. Gladstone
August 15, 2008

This is the debut recording from a young and exciting saxophonist who, at the age of 22, seems calm, cool and collected. Noah Preminger heads a group that includes edgy, downtown Manhattan musicians Ben Monder (guitar), Frank Kimbrough (piano), Ted Hebert (bass) and Russ Johnson (trumpet). Such a youthful tenor saxophonist might be expected to eagerly step into the world of free-bop, but instead Preminger demonstrates a good indicator of his style by taking his time to make things happen.

Noah Preminger Group: Dry Bridge Road

by Troy Collins
July 25, 2008

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 ...