For those unaware, with his 1963 outing Ballads, John Coltrane created an album that showcased how one of jazz history’s most adventurous artists could reveal his softer, more lyrical side without sacrificing inventiveness or exploration.

Acclaimed tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger follows directly in the same tradition with his latest release, Ballads, out February 21st, 2025 via the new Chill Tone label.

An entrancing collection of original compositions, discerningly curated standards and one left-field cover from outside the jazz realm, Ballads features stunningly beautiful playing by Preminger and his quartet with pianist Julian Shore, bassist Kim Cass and drummer Allan Mednard. The title of Ballads of course echoes Coltrane’s 60-year-old classic, and in both cases stands as a straightforward description of the albums’ contents. But Preminger’s use of the deceptively simple name also represents a succinct mission statement, one that marks a new direction in the saxophonist’s diverse discography.

1. Stan’s Mood
2. Carry Me Ohio
3. Unfair World
4. In Our 20s
5. Democracy
6. Pneu
7. Someone To Watch Over Me

This simply divine, expertly impassioned new recording opens on the atmospherically-cultured vibe of the much overlooked Stan Getz cut Stan’s Mood before bringing forth the luxuriant Carry Me Ohio (by singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek, aka Sun Kil Moon), which is itself backed seamlessly by the sheer elegance of Unfair World and the drum-led ambiance within the lush In Our 20s.

Preminger’s desire to forge an album of forthright beauty continues onward with a breathy stillness within Democracy, which is then backed supremely by the effortless serenity exhibited within Pneu, the new set coming to an all too soon close on the effectively cinematic, shimmering and glass-like Gershwin perennial Someone To Watch Over Me.

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