Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of musics (jazz, classical, rock, soul, Indian, Indonesian, Middle-Eastern, African) and instruments (recorder, piano, guitar, gatham, gamelan), and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police and Led Zeppelin drew Joshua more deeply into music. But although Joshua loved playing the saxophone and was a dedicated member of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Combo from 1983-86, academics were always his first priority, and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician.

In 1991 Redman graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Social Studies. He had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. Some of his friends (former students at the Berklee College of Music whom Joshua had met while in Boston) had recently relocated to Brooklyn, and they were looking for another housemate to help with the rent. Redman accepted their invitation to move in, and almost immediately he found himself immersed in the New York jazz scene. He began jamming and gigging regularly with some of the leading jazz musicians of his generation: Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Kevin Hays, Roy Hargrove, Geoff Keezer, Leon Parker, Jorge Rossy and Mark Turner (to name just a few). In November of that year, five months after moving to New York, Redman was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. This was only one of the more visible highlights from a year that saw Redman beginning to tour and record with jazz masters such as his father, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Elvin Jones, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, and Clark Terry. For Joshua, this was a period of tremendous growth, invaluable experience and endless inspiration.

Now fully committed to a life in music, Redman was quickly signed by Warner Bros. Records and issued his first, self-titled album in the spring of 1993, which subsequently earned Redman his first Grammy nomination. That fall saw the release of Wish, where Joshua was joined by the all-star cast of Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. He toured extensively with Metheny throughout the latter half of that year. His next recording, MoodSwing, was released in 1994, and it introduced his first permanent band, which included three other young musicians who have gone on to become some of the most important and influential artists in modern jazz: pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade. A later edition of this ensemble included guitarist Peter Bernstein, pianist Peter Martin, bassist Chris Thomas and Blade. Over a series of celebrated recordings including Spirit of the Moment/Live at the Village Vanguard, Freedom in the Groove and Timeless Tales (for Changing Times), Redman established himself as one of the music’s most consistent and successful bandleaders, and added soprano and alto saxophones to his instrumental arsenal. Joshua’s second acclaimed quartet, featuring pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, was formed in 1998 and made its recorded debut on the 2000 album Beyond. The dynamic interplay and uncommon rapport of this group inspired Redman to write and record his first long-form composition, Passage of Time, which was released in 2001.

A year later, Redman began to channel his jazz sensibilities through new instrumentation and formed The Elastic Band, a flexible, electrified, groove-based trio built on an ongoing collaboration with keyboardist Sam Yahel and drummer Brian Blade. The band debuted on the 2002 releases yaya3 and Elastic. Drummer Jeff Ballard began to play regularly with the Elastic Band later that year, and he (along with Blade and Yahel) played a central role in their next recording, the Grammy-nominated Momentum, which was released in 2005 to inaugurate Redman’s affiliation with Nonesuch Records, and featured a diverse and exciting lineup of special guests.

In 2000, Redman was named Artistic Director for the Spring Season of the non-profit jazz-presenting organization SFJAZZ. Redman and SFJAZZ Executive Director Randall Kline had an idea that The New York Times called a “eureka moment”; the creation of the SFJAZZ Collective, an ensemble distinguished both by the creativity of its members and a unique primary emphasis on composition. Inaugurated in 2004, the eight-piece band consists of a multi-generational cast of accomplished musicians. The Collective’s repertoire features both commissioned works and new arrangements of the work of great modern jazz composers. In March 2007, Redman announced that he was taking a hiatus from both the SFJAZZ Artistic Directorship and the SFJAZZ Collective in order to focus on new projects.

The following month, Nonesuch released Redman’s first ever piano-less trio record, Back East, featuring Joshua alongside three stellar bass and drum rhythm sections (Larry Grenadier & Ali Jackson, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland) and three very special guest saxophonists (Chris Cheek, Joe Lovano and Dewey Redman). On Compass, released in January 2009 (Nonesuch), Joshua continues to explore the expansive trio format, and with a group of collaborators as intrepid as he is – bassists Larry Grenadier and Rueben Rogers, and drummers Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson – Redman literally and figuratively stretches the shape of the trio approach; on the most audacious of these tunes, he performs with the entire lineup in a double-trio setting.

Starting in late 2009, Joshua will be performing with a new collaborative band called James Farm featuring pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. The band infuses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation with a progressive attitude and modern sound, creating music that is rhythmically and technically complex and at the same time harmonically rich, melodically satisfying, and emotionally compelling.

In addition to his own projects, Redman has recorded and performed with musicians such as Brian Blade, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, The Dave Matthews Band, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Aaron Goldberg, Larry Goldings, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Roy Haynes, Billie Higgins, Milt Jackson, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Big Daddy Kane, Geoff Keezer, B.B. King, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, DJ Logic, Joe Lovano, Yo Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, John Medeski, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Paul Motian, MeShell Ndegeocello, Leon Parker, Nicholas Payton, John Psathas, Simon Rattle, Dewey Redman, Dianne Reeves, Melvin Rhyne, The Rolling Stones, The Roots, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Scofield, Soulive, String Cheese Incident, Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Mark Turner, McCoy Tyner, Umphrey’s McGee, US3, Bugge Wesseltoft, Cedar Walton, Stevie Wonder and Sam Yahel. Joshua Redman has been nominated for 2 Grammys and has garnered top honors in critics and readers polls of DownBeat, Jazz Times, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone. He wrote and performed the music for Louis Malle’s final film Vanya on 42nd Street, and is both seen and heard in the Robert Altman film Kansas City. Show less

Joshua Redman Group At Gates Concert Hall

by Steven Roby
March 6, 2024

Joshua Redman Group Gates Concert Hall Denver, Colorado March 1, 2024 A luminary of contemporary jazz, Joshua Redman graced Gates Concert Hall last Friday with his stellar group featuring Paul Cornish (piano), Philip Norris (bass), Nazir Ebo (drums), and the outstanding vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa. The 100-minute sold-out performance relied heavily on songs from Redman's 2023 Blue Note Records debut where are we. Yes, it's all lowercase and without a question mark--all intentional.

Play This!

Joshua Redman: The Folks Who Live On The Hill

by Scott Lichtman
January 24, 2024

While there's a long list of jazz performers recording with strings, it's unusual for those recordings to have the sheer elegance of tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman's “The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Featured on his Walking Shadows album, the tune's every melodic line has just the right amount of tone, range and redirection to qualify as transcendental beauty. And the strings and backing trio sway just enough to caress and enliven the lead line. Take a breath and appreciate ...

Live Review

Joshua Redman Group at the Cleveland Museum of Art

by C. Andrew Hovan
January 19, 2024

Joshua Redman Group featuring Gabrielle Cavassa Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, Ohio January 10, 2024 While the Cleveland Museum of Art is acknowledged worldwide for its fine collection of works, the performance space provided by the 683-seat Gartner Auditorium has seen its share of ups and downs. Built in 1971, the hall boasts a renowned Holtkamp pipe organ and was home to many concerts of all genres over the decades. With ...

In Pictures

Day 3 at Newport Jazz Festival: Hearing the Future and Honoring the History

by Dave Kaufman
October 4, 2023

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Sunday, the fest's final day, was glorious, with perfect weather and large, enthusiastic crowds. Friday and Saturday had killer lineups, but the festival arguably saved the best for last. There were a total of 17 acts. This included young emerging stars such as Samara Joy and Matthew Whitaker. My festival experience was bookended by two octogenarians, Charles McPherson and Herbie Hancock. Both were in peak form and among the day's ...

Album Review

Joshua Redman: Where Are We

Read "Where Are We" reviewed by Dave Linn

by Dave Linn
September 24, 2023

After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1986, Joshua Redman (son of jazz legend Dewey Redman) won a full scholarship to Harvard, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1991. He was accepted at Yale Law School to become a lawyer. Instead, he embarked on a musical career which quickly turned luminous. He won the Thelonious Monk Institute's prestigious jazz saxophone competition in 1991, before moving to Brooklyn, becoming part of the thriving scene there. His debut album, Joshua Redman ...

Album Review

Redman / Mehldau / McBride / Blade: Long Gone

Read "Long Gone" reviewed by Scott Gudell

by Scott Gudell
February 15, 2023

The mid-1990s saw the first recorded and officially preserved union of four up-and-coming jazz newcomers--Joshua Redman (saxophone,) Christian McBride (bass,) Brad Mehldau (piano) and Brian Blade (drums.) All four were dedicated followers of classic jazz and came together, but soon scattered and began charting their own individual courses. There was a long delay before they reunited for a second quartet recording in 2020. By then, each and every one of them had earned the respect of their peers and risen ...

Live Review

Bologna Jazz Festival 2022

by Libero Farnè
December 2, 2022

Bologna Jazz Festival 2022 Bologna, Forlì, Ferrara Varie sedi 27.10—27.11.2022 Oltre cinquanta concerti distribuiti in diciotto location diverse, soprattutto a Bologna ma anche a Forlì e Ferrara. Il Bologna Jazz Festival 2022 ha confermato la sua estensione territoriale e la consistenza del suo cartellone, ed ha nel contempo recuperato l'arco temporale degli ultimi anni pre-Covid, occupando un mese esatto dalla fine di ottobre alla fine di novembre. I concerti sono stati affiancati ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joshua Redman

Source: Michael Ricci
February 1, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Joshua Redman's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joshua Redman

Source: Michael Ricci
February 1, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Joshua Redman's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joshua Redman

Source: Michael Ricci
February 1, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Joshua Redman's birthday today!

Recording

Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade Reunite After 26 Years with RoundAgain, out now on Nonesuch

Source: Nonesuch Publicity
July 21, 2020

The members of the original Joshua Redman Quartet—Redman (saxophone), Brad Mehldau (piano), Christian McBride (bass), and Brian Blade (drums)—reunite with the July 10, 2020 release of RoundAgain, the group’s first recording since 1994’s MoodSwing. The album features seven newly composed songs: three from Redman, two from Mehldau, and one each from McBride and Blade. On Wednesday, July 22 at 4pm ET on the NPR Music YouTube channel, NPR Music and Jazz Night In America will host a live chat and ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joshua Redman

Source: Michael Ricci
February 1, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Joshua Redman's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joshua Redman

Source: Michael Ricci
February 1, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Joshua Redman's birthday today!

Place our Musician of ...
read more

Recording

Joshua Redman's New Album, "Still Dreaming"—Featuring Ron Miles, Scott Colley & Brian Blade—Out Now

Source: Nonesuch Publicity
June 10, 2018

Saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman is joined by drummer Brian Blade, bassist Scott Colley, and cornetist Ron Miles for Still Dreaming—an album inspired by his father Dewey Redman's 1976–1987 band, Old and New Dreams—released on Nonesuch Records on May 25, 2018. Along with the senior Redman, Old and New Dreams featured an all-star lineup of Ornette Coleman collaborators—cornetist Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Ed Blackwell—who continued pushing musical boundaries as they had with Coleman even after their former ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joshua Redman

Source: Michael Ricci
February 1, 2018

All About Jazz is celebrating Joshua Redman's birthday today!

Place our Musician of ...
read more

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Joshua Redman and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
January 3, 2018

With the area still in a post-holiday deep freeze, the calendar of live jazz and creative music this week in St. Louis unsurprisingly features just one significant touring performer, but there also will be the usual contingent of local musicians and singers braving the arctic-like conditions for your listening enjoyment. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, January 3 Saxophonist Joshua Redman returns with his quartet to perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz at the ...
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