IMN : Updates for Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman's "Engaging" New Album

IMN

May 20th, 2013

From Pop Matters

Joshua Redman: Walking Shadows
By: John Garratt

A blues guitarist once told me that, when judging the musicianship of others, he always paid close attention to how they finished their notes. This rule of thumb echoed around my brain as I watched two saxophones duke it out late one night at a club in my hometown. They played fast, they played with groove, but their notes were not pure from start to finish. The notes concluded either too raggedly or not at all, shifting all the emphasis to the start of the notes. But saxophonist Joshua Redman is not that kind of musician. Each note is created equally in the eyes of his horn, even the fast ones. And what better way to illustrate this virtue than on an album of ballads?

Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau have a working relationship that dates back to 1994’s Mood Swing (In the liner notes for Metheny Mehldau, guitarist Pat Metheny tells a charming tale of hearing Mehldau’s work on Mood Swing, causing him to pull over to the side of the road). Redman has handed the production reins for Walking Shadows to Mehldau, giving it a far different flavor than Redman’s past albums. Under the supervision of James Farber (or occasionally Redman himself), Joshua Redman’s albums took a more-or-less strict approach to the hard bop saxophone quartet. With Mehldau calling the shots, Walking Shadows unsurprisingly has more in common with a Mehldau album, from the unorthodox choice of covers, through the gentle orchestration, to the arrival of music that is not purely jazz but is genuinely jazzy.

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Joshua Redman Brings 'Walking Shadows' to Life at Town Hall

IMN

May 16th, 2013

From Broadway World

Jazz Saxophonist Joshua Redman Performs June 4th at Town Hall
By: BWW News Desk

Jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman’s May 7, 2013 release, Walking Shadows (Nonesuch), is a collection of vintage and contemporary ballads and Redman’s first recording to include an orchestral ensemble. Redman’s June 4 performance at the historic Town Hall will include the same quartet featured on Walking Shadows – longtime collaborators and close friends Brad Mehldau on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The New York based orchestra The Knights will help bring the music of Walking Shadows to life. This is the first of a very limited number of Redman performances that will include a strings ensemble and the only engagement that will include the album’s all-star quartet.

Creating his own take on the classic jazz-with-strings album was the initial impetus for Joshua Redman’s Walking Shadows, a collection of ballads that Jeff Simon from the Buffalo News calls “sometimes exquisite and never less than exceptionally beautiful.” With his friend and frequent collaborator, pianist Brad Mehldau, on board as producer, Redman has retooled a familiar formula. The jazz-with-strings concept serves as a starting point, as foundation and inspiration, for Redman’s exploration of an ambitiously eclectic set of tunes performed in a variety of configurations. The strings themselves are an active, emotive presence on the six songs in which they are featured and their absence on other tracks only seems to heighten the drama of those more austerely arranged compositions.

“The strings add a richness and a lushness, a romanticism and even a touch of nostalgia to the music,” explains Redman. “We wanted the orchestra to feel like an essential element of the tracks on which it performs and sound as if it were genuinely a part of the improvisation and conversation, of the ebb and flow. It’s one of the reasons it was so important for us to record everything live, with the strings at the same time, as opposed to recording them in a session as an overdub, which might have been technically and logistically a lot easier. But musically, I think that would have made everything feel less natural and integrated. “

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Live Review: Joshua Redman & Christian McBride at Wigmore Hall, London

IMN

May 13th, 2013

from ft.com

The saxophonist and bassist duetted with clarity, control and fine detail
By Mike Hobart

American saxophonist Joshua Redman’s relationship with Christian McBride goes back 20 years, when Redman sought out the bassist in New York, soon after graduating from Harvard. They formed a fertile creative partnership, but here, both men seemed somewhat surprised that this was their first gig together for five years, and only their second in this format.

Duets leave little room for manoeuvre and, in the revealing acoustics of the Wigmore Hall, no room for error. With nerves a-jangle and each pitch and nuance laid bare, the temptation to overplay is strong. Both Redman and McBride pack a hefty punch, but at this concert, the emphasis was more on clarity and control, fine detail and the careful construction of emotional highs. It was an enormous pleasure just to hear Christian McBride walk through the common-stock cadences of jazz tradition, let alone the mighty strums and super-fast be-bop that came down the line.

Each musician comes with an extensive knowledge of lineage and style. They opened with the sly theme and soul-jazz vamp of Ray Bryant’s “Chicken and Dumplings” and chose “On the Sunny Side of the Street” as their encore. They took in modern blues, an early funk classic, Eddie Harris’s “Cold Duck Time” and added a slow and sensuous ballad, “Easy Living”. And mid-set, they captured the full force of Dizzy Gillespie’s Afro-Cuban big-band classic “Manteca” with overlapping beats and muscular lines. Extra riffs, sudden harmonies and short unison bursts added spice, while Redman’s development, for all the playful references and high-note virtuosity, had an iron logic that stayed in focus throughout the long single set.

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Walking Shadows

IMN

May 7th, 2013

From Nonesuch

Nonesuch to Release Joshua Redman’s “Walking Shadows,” Produced by Brad Mehldau, on May 7; Pre-Order to Download Track

Nonesuch Records releases saxophonist Joshua Redman’s Walking Shadows on May 7, 2013. The album, comprising 12 ballads, is Redman’s first recording to include an orchestral ensemble, which plays on many of the tracks. It was produced by Redman’s friend and frequent collaborator Brad Mehldau. The record’s core ensemble is a quartet featuring Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, and Brian Blade—all frequent collaborators of Redman’s over the years. Dan Coleman conducts on the orchestral tracks. Walking Shadows includes original tunes from both Redman and Mehldau along with works by a wide range of composers such as John Mayer and Pino Palladino, Kern and Hammerstein, and Lennon and McCartney. Orchestral arrangements are by Mehldau, Coleman, and composer Patrick Zimmerli. Walking Shadows is now available to pre-order in the Nonesuch Store with an instant download of the Redman-penned album track “Final Hour,” which you can preview below, and a download of the complete album available starting release day.

Redman first worked with Mehldau and Blade in Redman’s mid-1990s quartet and they have been friends and frequent collaborators ever since. Redman was a featured soloist on Mehldau’s Jon Brion–produced 2010 orchestral album, Highway Rider. Walking Shadows is the first of Redman’s records to be produced by Mehldau. Redman says: “I couldn’t be more delighted to have the opportunity to do a ballads record with strings, with Brad producing, and my other great friends and collaborators all involved. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”

The New York Times said of the saxophonist, “Joshua Redman is one of the most visible jazz musicians of the last 15 years, which says something not just about his natural flow as an improviser and his command as a bandleader, but also about his willingness to use words … to represent jazz to the outside world.”

Redman’s first self-titled studio album was released by Warner Bros. in 1993; eight additional records followed on Warner. His Nonesuch debut, Momentum, was released in 2005, along with the first of two SF JAZZ Collective albums on which he served as artistic director. In 2007, Nonesuch released Back East, Redman’s first studio recording with an acoustic trio, followed by Compass in 2009 featuring double trio. His most recent album, 2011’s James Farm, featured a band of the same name with pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland.

Listen to a track off the album below, then visit Nonesuch’s website to pre-order the album and download a track now.

Joshua Redman's 'Walking Shadows' is "Never Less Than Exceptionally Beautiful"

IMN

May 6th, 2013

From The Buffalo News

Joshua Redman: Walking Shadows
By: Jeff Simon

Quick: What did Charlie Parker, Ben Webster and Stan Getz do that John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Lester Young never did?

Answer: record a classic jazz album with a string orchestra.

Just to make sure that he joined Bird, Ben and Getz on their side of the discography and not Coltrane, Sonny and Prez, Joshua Redman will release an album of ballads Tuesday which is sometimes exquisite and never less than exceptionally beautiful.

The saxophone-and-strings album is so perilous (they don’t always end up as towering jazz masterworks a la Getz’s “Focus” with Eddie Sauter) that a smart soloist needs all the close friends he can get around him. And that’s where Redman’s ballad disc is so much smarter than so many of his forebears. His producer – and pianist on the disc – is his old friend and combo-mate pianist Brad Mehldau.

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Hitting The High Notes With Joshua Redman

IMN

April 22nd, 2013

From WWNO

Jazz Fest Minutes: Hitting The High Notes With Saxophonist Joshua Redman
By: Fred Kasten

Saxophonist Joshua Redman grew up in Berkeley, California, a very high achiever academically who turned to music for fun.

“I loved music, and I loved listening to it and I loved playing it, but I wasn’t serious about it. Music was kind of an escape, it was kind of a relief for me from the more rigorous aspects, the more studious aspects, of academics,” Redman says. “That was kind of how I let myself go and have fun.”

Redman started clarinet in the fourth grade and switched to tenor sax in the fifth. He loved blues, rock, funk, jazz and, thanks to his dancer mom, Indian and Indonesian music.

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Confirmed Tourdates As Of February 2nd, 2013

IMN

June 4th, 2013: Town Hall New York, NY USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, Brian Blade and Orchestra, playing selections from the new album "Walking Shadows"]
June 27th, 2013: The Grand Theatre Kingston, ON, CANADA [JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
August 4th, 2013: Fort Adams State Park Newport, RI USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
August 7th, 2013: Botanic Garden Augsburg, Germany [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson]
August 8th, 2013: Chapiteau, Marciac Jazz Festival Marciac, France [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
August 9th, 2013: Place Jerri Hans La Petite Pierre, France [JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
August 11th, 2013: National Jazzscene Oslo, NORWAY [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
September 2nd, 2013: Cadillac Square, Detroit International Jazz Festiv Detroit, MI USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers & Gregory Hutchinson and Orchestra, playing selections from the new album "Walking Shadows"]
September 28th, 2013: Sheslow Auditorium, Drake University Des Moines, IA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 1st, 2013: Jazzhaus Freiburg Freiburg, Germany [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 2nd, 2013: Heidelberg Stadthalle Heidelberg, Germany [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 3rd, 2013: Lucerna Music Bar Prague, Czech Republic [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 4th, 2013: 37. Leipziger Jazzdays Leipzig, Germany [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 6th, 2013: Salle Pleyel Paris, France [Joshua Redman Quartet]
October 10th, 2013: BimHuis Amsterdam, Netherlands [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 11th, 2013: BimHuis Amsterdam, Netherlands [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 12th, 2013: Frits Philips Eindhoven, Netherlands [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 14th, 2013: Cite de Congres Nantes, France [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
October 15th, 2013: De Bijloke Muziekcentrum Gent Gent, Belgium [Joshua Redman]
October 26th, 2013: Festival Jazz in Kiev Kiev, Ukraine [JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 8th, 2013: Berklee Performance Center Boston, MA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 9th, 2013: Annenberg Center-Zellerbach Theatre Philadelphia, PA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 15th, 2013: Kuumbwa Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 16th, 2013: Zellerbach Auditorium at UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 21st, 2013: Tryon Festival Theatre, University of Illinois Urbana, IL USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 22nd, 2013: Symphony Center Chicago, IL USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
November 23rd, 2013: Manchester Craftsmans Guild Pittsburgh, PA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
March 4th, 2014: Victoria Hall Geneva, Switzerland [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
March 5th, 2014: Tonhalle Zurich, Switzerland [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
March 11th, 2014: Konzerthaus Großer Saal Wien, Austria [JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
March 13th, 2014: L'Auditorium de Bordeaux Bordeaux, France [Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson]
April 2nd, 2014: Disney Hall Los Angeles, CA USA [Joshua Redman Quartet]
April 12th, 2014: Hogg Auditorium, The University of Texas Austin, TX USA [Joshua Redman]

Joshua Redman Discusses His Jazz Series at Wigmore Hall

IMN

October 24th, 2012

From Classical Music

Joshua Redman
By: Neil McKim

The tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman, son of jazz legend Dewey Redman, discusses his Jazz Series at London’s Wigmore Hall which kicks off on 2 November

You have performed at Wigmore Hall before, notably with pianist Brad Mehldau. How did your Jazz Series curator position arise?
Wigmore Hall approached me when I played with Brad Mehldau in 2009. They said that Brad was going to step down after his residency and they asked me if I was interested. It’s a beautiful venue, very acoustically rich, and also a somewhat unique venue to present jazz and jazz-related music in. And I decided to give it a try. I’m really looking forward to it.

You’ve got some top jazz talent on the programme. How did you select the artists?
Wigmore Hall was looking for me to be involved in half the concerts. But my favourite artists are not myself! If it were up to me I would probably programme a bunch of concerts with other artists. But of course I’m happy to play. I’ve just begun programming – this is a work in progress. It’s a bit of an adventure for me and I hope I learn a lot. I hope that audiences will as well. One of the challenges is trying to find not only interesting creative artists but also projects that work well acoustically in the hall. The Axis Saxophone Quartet (Joshua Redman with Chris Cheek, Chris Potter and Mark Turner) is going to kick off the Jazz Series this year, on Friday 2 November. It’s a brand new project for all of us. We’re excited – we have a good time and I think the music is going to develop the more that we play together.

To read more click here

Jazz breaking news: Joshua Redman announced as Wigmore Hall Jazz Series curator

IMN

October 12th, 2012

from jazzwisemagazine.com

Jazz breaking news: Joshua Redman announced as Wigmore Hall Jazz Series curator

Acclaimed US saxophonist Joshua Redman has been confirmed as the new Jazz Series curator at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall. This appointment follows on from pianist Brad Mehldau’s successful two-year tenure which saw him perform alongside opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter, bluegrass mandolin star Chris Thile, and singer songwriter Joe Henry.

Redman kicks off his series in dramatic fashion on Friday 2 November, appearing with a stellar newly-formed a cappella sax group, the Axis Saxophone Quartet, which features tenorist of the moment Chris Potter, and top New York sax stars Mark Turner and Chris Cheek. This all-star four-piece will perform standards and newly arranged material from each member. Redman maintains this high benchmark with two more concerts next year – the first on 1 February features another intriguing and impressive line up of Argentinian composer and bandleader Guillermo Klein on a rare UK live date, pianist Aaron Goldberg and saxophonists Chris Cheek and Miguel Zenón. This virtuosic ensemble explores jazz and folk melodies across complex compositions and arrangements inspired by Messiaen and Ligeti.

The series continues with a striking duo concert on 11 May, between Redman and top US jazz bassist Christian McBride. The pair have worked together several times since the saxophonist emerged in the early-1990s, with McBride part of the Joshua Redman Quartet that toured his superb second solo album, Wish, that featured both Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden on the recording, while Redman returned the favour by appearing on McBride’s 1993 album Getting’ To It. The bassist also appeared on Redman’s 2007 Nonesuch album, Back East, a rhythm-section-led project also featuring three other bass-and-drums pairings of Larry Grenadier with Ali Jackson, McBride with Brian Blade, and Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland. This rare duo date between Redman and McBride will be a great chance to hear these two modern masters in the rarefied, all-acoustic setting of the Wigmore Hall is so renowned for.

Click here got more information

Tyner and Redman Pay Homage to Coltrane

IMN

October 8th, 2012

From Classicalite

Lincoln Center NYC covers John Coltrane
By: O’Jay Burgess

Two artists will pay homage to legendary musician John Coltrane in two nights at the Lincoln Center, McCoy Tyner and Joshua Redman will be playing sounds of the late James Coltrane on Oct. 26 and Oct.27.

McCoy Tyner will play first sandwiching Joshua Redman’s performance when he plays at 7:30 p.m. at the start and then coming back at 9:30 p.m., leaving Redman an hour in between at 8 p.m., to entertain the crowd.

McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist who has been playing since 1960 and is better known for his covering of John Coltrane’s work.

…

Joshua Redman who is at a different point of his career is a tenor saxophonist who also sites John Coltrane as one of his major influences. Others include his father Dewey Redman a musician in his own right, Ornette Coleman, The Beatles and Aretha Franklin along with many others.

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Joshua Redman Trio Plays Triskel Christchurch, Cork

IMN

September 19th, 2012

from irishexaminer.com

Joshua Redman Trio
Triskel Christchurch, Cork
By: Kieran Bohane

Making a welcome return to Cork last Friday was acclaimed American saxophonist Joshua Redman who, along with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Chris Hutchinson, delivered a polished performance to the delight of a near-capacity audience at Triskel Christchurch.

An imposing figure on stage, Redman — literally tall, dark, handsome and looking a lot younger than his 43 years — proved to be a generous leader. There were a number of slow-burning solos where he took a step back from the limelight and allowed the brilliant Rogers to strut his stuff almost, but not quite, to the extent of stealing the show, such was his virtuosity on the double bass. Hutchinson on sticks was no clang-a-lang man either, and from the opener, Hutchhiker’s Guide, it was evident the trio was enjoying its whistle-stop Irish tour.

Redman, favouring a soprano saxophone — on an intro with an almost classical treatment, flavoured with a sprinkling of Eastern promise — played the beautiful homage to his mother, entitled Zarafah. It must have been the best tune on the night — again Rogers’ beating-heart bass adding the gentlest of pulses.

The trio minus the ivories can be a tough environment for any sax player, but Redman rose to the challenge, using all the skills he has acquired while playing with some of the best musicians on the planet over the past 20 years. Indeed, his reading of Joe Lovano’s Blackwell’s Message vied with Zarafah for the best on the night, but as we left the warmth of Christchurch after 92 minutes and were met by the autumnal chill, there was more than a whisper in favour of the trio’s stellar storytelling on Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust.

The accidental jazzman

IMN

September 12th, 2012

from irishtimes.com

The accidental jazzman
By: LAURENCE MACKIN

ONE OF THE most extraordinary things about saxophonist Joshua Redman’s career is that it happened at all. “I’ve been living the dream, although sometimes it can feel like a nightmare,” he laughs.

“It was never a dream I’ve had – I’ve always loved music, for the first half more as a listener than as a player. I never heard myself in that position, I was on a different track. The past 20 years have been a gift, a glorious accident.”

Those 20 years have seen him become one of the finest and most exciting saxophone players in jazz today. Redman was born in Berkeley, California, in 1969. His father, Dewey Redman, was a famous saxophonist, and while Redman was growing up, his father was living in New York playing with the likes of Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett (later in life, Redman would record two albums with his father).

His mother, Renee Shedroff, studied South Indian dance at the Centre for World Music in Berkeley, and enrolled him in classes there. Redman settled on tenor saxophone as his weapon of choice at the age of 10, and played throughout his teens with the prestigious Berkeley High School jazz band. However, while he never concentrated on jazz, practised infrequently and favoured his academic studies over music, this didn’t stop him, in the summer of 1990, from debuting with his father at New York’s Village Vanguard.

A straight-A student, Redman went on to Harvard University, graduated in 1991, and was accepted to study law at Yale. Before heading to Yale, though, Redman decided to take a year out to move in with friends in Brooklyn. Once there, he fell easily into the New York jazz scene, and in one brief, furious year, he cut his teeth in the boiler room of the New York scene in an arc that can take top players a decade.

Did his earlier non-musical experience influence his approach to jazz, once he committed to being a full-time player? “Certainly, as a human being, there is something about a little education, and how to think critically about the world and the things you see and how to ask the right question that has stood me in fairly good stead over the years.

To read the full article click here

Joshua Redman at Recôncavo Jazz Festival

IMN

August 16th, 2012

From A Tarde

Jazz Para Cachoeira
By: Chico Castro Jr.

Joshua Redman was featured in A Tarde recently, in an interview previewing his performance at the Recôncavo Jazz Festival. To read the article, click the links below:

Page 1
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Joshua Redman: An Uncommon 'Riddle'

IMN

May 25th, 2012

From A Blog Supreme/NPR Jazz

An Uncommon ‘Riddle’: Joshua Redman Covers His Musical Peer
By: Patrick Jarenwattananon

In addition to being a very good performance of a very likeable song, this YouTube clip is a very specific and increasingly rare type of cover.

The performers are the Joshua Redman Trio: Reuben Rogers on bass, Gregory Hutchinson on drums, Redman on alto saxophone. (He usually plays tenor or soprano, so this is unusual.) And the tune is “Riddle Me This,” by Aaron Parks, who is roughly Redman’s contemporary. As you see, Aaron Parks is not on this gig, nor could he, as a pianist, possibly play in the Joshua Redman Trio.

“Riddle Me This” was first recorded on Parks’ 2008 album Invisible Cinema. It sounds fairly simple at first listen, but the score is actually quite intricate, with lots of highly specific rhythms, a constantly fluctuating tonal center and a long form that takes nearly two minutes to get through. Redman’s version here, recorded Feb. 10, 2012 during a European tour, accomplishes the nifty trick of making the complex sound alive, soulful, foot-tapping, hummable.

You would think that “jazz bandleader calls a tune by his or her contemporary” is a fairly common occurrence. Jazz musicians’ careers depend on playing in each others’ bands — and, by extension, playing each others’ tunes. It certainly happened in the past, in a way that’s inscribed Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter tunes into standard repertoire.

To read more click here

James Farm: Cinematic Jazz Goes POP

IMN

May 25th, 2012

From San Jose Mercury News

Review: James Farm: Cinematic jazz goes POP
By: Richard Scheinin

One band, four assertive voices. That’s James Farm, an all-star group that at its best goes sailing through a cinematic landscape that’s unique in jazz. Quickly, it moves: episode to episode, mood to mood, groove to groove. It can get a little schizzy, but when the band settles into its mission of collective imagination, watch out.

Opening its second show Thursday at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, James Farm — which performs through Sunday at Yoshi’s in Oakland — settled into “Coax,” a tune by its bassist, Matt Penman. The scene: Open skies, gliding rhythms, a sensation of uplift. Then saxophonist Joshua Redman went sailing like a kite: circling, swooping, looping; breezy and perfect lines throughout his solo, played with that finely sandpapered tone of his.

The kite landed, and Redman kept playing, alone and quietly.

Drummer Eric Harland joined him: an undertow of rapid hits on his bass drum, which Redman matched, tonguing a note for each drum stroke. It lasted only a few seconds; the two were hinting at something — and the band broke out into a spin-like-a-top rock beat. Crisp, bouncing, happy; it got ecstatic, quickly. If this weren’t a jazz club, the college students in the crowd might have rushed the stage, or at least stood up and danced to this tune, Redman’s “Polliwog.”

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Joshua Redman at Home Down on James Farm

IMN

May 21st, 2012

From The San Francisco Chronicle

Joshua Redman at Home Down on James Farm
By: Lee Hildebrand

Few have ever accused Joshua Redman of being a slacker. With the exception of a lone B, he earned straight A’s during his 16 years of schooling, and, since 1992, when he signed with Warner Bros. Records within a year of having graduated Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in social science, the Berkeley-born saxophonist has been one of the busiest and most visible players in jazz.

Yet, during an interview at a coffee shop near the North Berkeley home he shares with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children – Jardon, 6, and Aviah, 2 – he admits that between graduating valedictorian from Berkeley High in 1986 and entering Harvard on a full scholarship a year later he did “a whole lot of nothing.”

“I did what a lot of 17-year-olds would want to do,” Redman, 43, says. “I just hung out with my friends and partied.

“I guess I got it out of my system,” he adds.

The concave brim of the khaki cap covering his clean-shaven head neatly frames his light green eyes, long nose and wide, friendly grin.

To read more click here