Michael Pedicin subtitles this latest release “Ballads2” and rightly so, as he uses his tenor and soprano sax to create rich pastoral landscapes with a team of Johnnie Valentino/g, Frank Strauss/key, Mike Boone/b, Justin Faulkner/dr and Alex Acuna/perc.’ His tenor is warm and inviting on the romantic and relaxed title track with Strauss’ piano, while Valentino’s guitar and Acuna’s percussion create a gentle caravan on the exotic “Storyteller.” His vibrato fills a room on his take of John Coltrane’s “ Crescent” while it cries on the thoughtful “Last Words.” On soprano, he shows rich drama like Pagliacci on “By Itself,” making this a strong and consistent painting in one motif.