Before the Rain Palmetto****

For his second album the gifted young tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger is reunited with Frank Kimbrough (piano) and John Hébert (bass) from his debut recording. Along with Matt Wilson (drums) they make a superbly flexible quartet for a programme of ballads with a contemporary and traditional character. Preminger, like Kimbrough a natural ballad player, is unmistakeable, wrapping his gorgeous tone and slow vibrato expressively round the lyric beauty of Before the Rain, Until the Real Thing Comes Alongand the sombre November, on which Kimbrough also distinguishes himself. But the tenor also seizes on the linear and rhythmic angularities of Quickeningand Abreaction– and his exceptional rhythm section's response to them – to construct equally assured, and different, rubato performances full of adventure, individuality and light and shade. Premingeris a bit special. See palmetto records.com