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Joshua Redman Albums
Timeless Tales, Freedom in the Groove, Spirit of the Moment, Joshua Redman, Mood Swing, Wish, Beyond
Here is a selection of Joshua Redman's best albums from the Warner Brothers label (Warner are now promoting him as if he was some common Pop artist!), the rating system is as follows (all albums are only available in Compact Disc format):
NB: all ratings coincide qith the arbitary decisions of the site author! These albums are not in chronological order.
Sound
Quality: Acceptable, Originality: Classic,
Skill: Basic
Sound
Quality: High quality sound, Originality:Innovation
, Skill: Skillfull
Sound
Quality: Pure, Originality: Barrier
Breaking!, Skill: Complex
In all of these albums Joshua Redman is the group leader and principal musician. There is little interest in following the albums in which he was only a side kick as he did not have the chance to show off his skills prematurely.
Timeless tales (for changing times)
Star Rating:
Review: This album is not rare, however it is rather hard to find in certain european countries. I have often tried to find it without success but have finally managed to purchase it in England. This album is an attempt (sorry, a sucessfull attempt!) by Redman to modify classic tunes and create highly original features of contempory Jazz. The album features some 20th century popular tunes from the Gershwins, Cole Porter and Bob Dylan to Stevie Wonder and Prince. By listening to this album one truely understands what Redman means by musical 'eclecticism' and diversity: his tunes cannot be definitively classified.
- Players: Joshua Redman (tenor, alto and soprano saxophones), Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass), Brian Blade (drums).
- Artist's comments: "Ten timeless tales, universal enough to have enduring cultural relevance and beautiful enough to have profound personal resonance-not just for us improvising jazz musicians, but hopefully for you imaginative jazz listeners as well. Joshua Redman"
NEW ! Joshua Redman's album FREEDOM IN THE GROOVE.
Star rating:
Review: 'Freedom in the Groove' is, in my opinion, Joshua Redman's greatest tour de force as it reflects his completely open and unrestrained view of Jazz and music as a whole. Once again the artists experiments by incorporating his own compositions. He does not, however, sacrifice his band's identity for the capacity to blend a variety of musical styles. Redman freely incorporates non-jazz rhythmic elements into his music, which from his perspective only strengthens its authenticity. Redman sets aside the rigidities through which music is often perceived as, like the rest of his music, 'Freedom in the Groove' is the product of intense thought and application. Redman also makes his debut as an alto saxophonist. 'I've always had a great connection with the alto,' he says. 'While I only picked one up last year, I felt connected to it almost immediately. In the same way that I desire to expand my range of expression compositionally, I want to explore new modes of expression through new instruments. I want to develop a voice on those instruments as identifiable as my voice on tenor, and that takes time and commitment. Still, I have a feeling I will always be a tenor player first. I always wanted to play the tenor saxophone, and I've always had a connection with that instrument.'
- Players: Joshua Redman (saxophones), Peter Bernstein (guitar), Peter Martin (piano),
- Christopher Thomas (bass), Brian Blade (drums).
- Artist's comments: "One thing I've discovered about myself, is that I'm an eclectic as a person and as a musician. I grew up listening to and loving all kinds of music, and that variety and diversity are in my soul. I know that I will never be comfortable being perceived as a specialist of one type of music, or as representative of only one style. There doesn't have to be a contradiction between being eclectic and being focused. You and your band can develop a focus and identity that allows eclecticism to take shape.
- Sometimes musicians, especially younger musicians, can get overwhelmed by definitions. Especially with jazz, the technical and philosophical demands are so great that you can forget that the music is supposed to be your expression. If your priorities get mixed up, you spend too much attention on the ideal of what jazz should be. For me his album represents an extension of the soul and spirit of jazz improvisation, interaction and spontaneity - into territory that isn't conventionally considered part of the jazz idiom.
- This album is thus not a manifesto, and it is not about a tribute to my influences. Everything I do musically is an attempt to reflect how I'm feeling as a person. Music isn't about explaining anything other than the emotions I feel at the time that I'm playing.' With Joshua Redman, that's more than enough. Joshua Redman"
Star Rating:
Review:
Players: Joshua Redman (saxophones), Peter Martin (piano), Christopher Thomas (bass), Brian Blade (drums}.
Star Rating:
Review:
Players: Joshua Redman (tenor saxophone), Kevin Hays (piano), Christian McBride (bass), Gregory Hutchinson (drums), Clarence Penn (drums), Mike LeDonne (piano), Paul LaDuca (bass), Kenny Washington (drums).
Artist's comments:
Star Rating:
Review: Mood Swing was the first of Joshua Redman's albums to feature exclusively his own compositions and was after its release in 1994 a major success. It is probably my favourite album in my collection as it conveys perfectly precise feelings and emotions (the tunes are attributed names such as 'Obsession', 'Rejoice' and 'Sweet Sorrow'). It is also the first album to include Redman's experimentation with the soprano saxophone, an instrument he masters perfectly. The quartet is a sublimely harmonious entity and Redman manages to vary his tunes and rythms embracing both Contempory and Classic Jazz forms. This CD is a must.as it brings a totally new dimension to the genre.
Players: Joshua Redman (saxophone), Brad Mehldau (piano), Christian McBride (bass), Brian Blade (drums).
Artist's comments: "Jazz is music. And great jazz, like all great music, attains its value not through intellectual complexity but through emotional expressivity. True, jazz is a particularly intricate, refined, and rigorous art form. Jazz musicians must amass a vast body of idiomatic knowledge and cultivate an acute artistic imagination if they wish to become accomplished, creative improvisers. More-over, a familiarity with jazz history and theory will undoubtedly enhance a listener's appreciation of the actual aesthetics.Yes, jazz is intelligent music. Nevertheless, extensive as they might seem, the intellectual aspects of jazz are ultimately only means to its emotional ends. Technique, theory, and analysis are not, and should never be considered ends in themselves. If then, the popular perception of jazz as an intellectual exercise is at odds with the reality of jazz as an emotional experience, what is to be done? How is jazz to be demystified? How can its image be revamped? These are problems which must be solved primarily by image-makers. Dedicated jazz musicians must concentrate first and foremost on their music. Still, when appropriate opportunities do arise, jazz musicians could greatly further the cause by de-emphasizing peripheral theoretical issues and instead directing attention toward the expressive core of their art. Joshua Redman"
Star Rating:
Players: Joshua Redman (tenor saxophone), Pat Metheny (guitars), Charlie Haden (bass), Billy Higgins (drums).