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Haymaker
Noah Preminger (Palmetto)
by Sean O’Connell
Noah Preminger’s official biography is probably the
only one to express a desire to “not get hit in the face”
and mean it literally. His fascination with the pugilist
lifestyle and other physically demanding pursuits
seem to be a large part of his mythology. Thus naming
his most recent album after an all-or-nothing swing of
the fist seems appropriate. The 20-something tenor
saxophonist may not have written any anthems to
replace LL Cool J’s monopoly over heroic ring entrances
and not every tune here renders the listener unconscious
but that’s a good thing.
Preminger’s last album had him in the presence of
a straightahead piano/bass/drums trio, which helped
place his classic tone in a classic setting. Here he is
joined by bassist Matt Pavolka, drummer Colin
Stranahan and guitarist Ben Monder, the latter’s
reverbing creating a modern surface, opening things
up harmonically for the two lead instruments.
The title track, one of seven Preminger
compositions on the album, is a curious juxtaposition
of ground-level intensity from Stranahan and a subtler
melody from Preminger. His horn is patient and
deliberate over the percussive hurricane, gradually
Lou Caputo & Chris White
Interface
A collaboration of two longtime friends
with Don Stein (piano)
Payton Crossley (drums)
Warren Smith (vibraphone)
Leopoldo Fleming (percussion)
Available at CDbaby, Amazon And Itunes
John Ehlis group featuring
Lou Caputo & Chris white
May 10th - Trumpets (Montclair, NJ)
Lou Caputo Quartet
May 12 - The Garage
Loucaputo.com; CaputoJazz@Twitter
26 May 2013 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
stretching out. Although the album is largely selfpenned,
the lone standard is an unexpected twist, with
Preminger taking the melody of a curly-haired orphan
for a meditative take on “Tomorrow”. It’s a short
performance dwelling entirely on the hopeful melody.
Preminger spends a minute alone, providing a breathy
exploration before the band gently joins him to recite
the popular tune. On “15,000”, Stranahan is a
wonderful bouncing presence with a litany of sounds
and feelings coming from his kit while “Stir My Soul”
gives Pavolka a little chance to stretch out over
Monder’s surf-inflected vibrations.
The resulting album is not nearly as physically
exhausting as one might expect given all the boxing
talk but it is a carefully controlled display of confidence,
allowing timing and patience to dictate when and
where the punches should land.
For more information, visit palmetto-records.com. This
group is at Jazz Standard May 21st-22nd. See Calendar.
Uplift 2: Higher
Monty Alexander (Jazz Legacy Productions)
by Donald Elfman
Jamaican-born Monty Alexander has been a solid and
welcome presence in the jazz world for nearly 50 years.
He beautifully reinvigorates the standard repertoire
and pleases audiences with spirited playing and
infectious stage presence.
Uplift 2 is the follow-up to…well...just plain Uplift
and both sets, recorded at concert halls and jazz clubs
from around the world, celebrate the communicative
spirit that’s come down from legends like Erroll
Garner, Ahmad Jamal and Oscar Peterson and fallen
squarely into Alexander’s two capable hands.
Alexander is fortunate to have John Clayton and
Jeff Hamilton as his rhythm section. They kick in
almost immediately after the pianist’s intro to “Battle
Hymn of the Republic” with a groovy shuffle beat that
urges forward Alexander’s dancing, rolling solo. And
then comes more of the same - or at least similarly
infused - “When The Saints Go Marching In”, which
Alexander turns into a Peterson-like blues jam. The
sensitive playing and propulsive thrust of Clayton
helps make this, the most primal of all the New Orleans
jazz tunes, a knockout blues with Alexander’s deeply
pulsing chords.
On three tracks – “St. Thomas”, “Night Mist
Blues” and “Close Enough For Love” - the rhythm
section changes. Bassist Hassan Shakur and drummer
Frits Landesbergen give an out-of-the ordinary spin to
the Sonny Rollins calypso while the lovely “Close
Enough For Love” is a showcase for the gentler side of
the pianist, as he takes a slow but virtuosic walk
through the emotional Johnny Mandel ballad.
“At the end of the day,” Alexander notes, “It’s
about touching somebody’s heart.” From the uptempo
crowd-pleasers to the more sensitive tunes, that’s
what’s going on throughout Uplift 2.
For more information, visit jazzlegacyproductions.com.
Alexander is at Birdland May 7th-11th. See Calendar.