[xXTooSaxyXx]

Recently my teacher had turned me on to Joshua Redman with a great book with a lot of transcribed solo's. As I got a new one to learn each week I'd buy the song on iTunes and I've been really enjoying them. They were songs like. Blues on Sunday, Faith, Moose the Mooch, Alone in the Morning, and Herbs and Roots most recently. I finally decided just to buy the whole album Spirit of the Moment and I've loved every second of it! All his solo's are just amazing and his technique is amazing. That's why I've been baffled as to why I rarely here people talk about him besides my private lessons teacher and a few of his friends. I really feel as though he his the most talented modern saxophonist technically speaking with his amazing altissimo (double altimissimo G in Herbs and Roots). He also has some very creative lines and plays very emotionally. I'm sure some of this has to do with how I'm 14 but I hang around with a lot of older jazz musicians and I rarely hear people talk about him on these forums. So I guess if just kinda curious as to why he isn't as famous as say Brandford or Winton Marsalis and I just want to say if you haven't checked him out you really should. I recommend Spirit of the Moment Live at the Village Vanguard (the St. Thomas opening solo could carry the whole album). Sorry if i was rambling a bit and thanks for reading.

 

[SimonJazzSax]

He is a great player. There are posts on him from time to time. Normally links to youtube videos. He is pretty famous though. In the sax world (and outside), he is very well known. Probably even more well known that Branford, due to his funk crossover and playing with flea from red hot chili peppers and quest love of the Roots. He won the Monk Competition back in 1991 or so when he was like 21 or 22. He even beat Chris Potter who got 3rd. LoL. But those guys are all beasts. It doesn't even matter. Just line them up and pick an order. Anyway...He was really big around 2005ish when he came out with the Elastic Band. Check out that album if you haven't. Jazz Crimes is probably one of the funkiest tunes ever written. Sam Yahel and Brian Blade are disgusting and filthy Momentum is another good one.

 

[custard]

That's a good question. Maybe because he is young for a jazz artist.
Brad Mehldau likes him enough to do concerts with him.
Sonny Rollins likes him too.

 

[Raphyel]

Hide and Seek

 

[tenorcat]

xX, here is what you got to do... IMHO... find his tour schedule, get it together, and go see him play. This jazz music stuff is a live art form. Records are but a snapshot in time. I have been able to see Joshua Redman play at least 20 times since the early '90s when he was just getting going. It's great to have been able to see him in different situations like trio with Brian Blade and Christian McBride where the played Monk to James Brown in front of six thousand people, or when he played with Chick Corea's Bud Powell tour with Kenny Garett and Roy Hargrove, or in a small club with McCoy Tyner or Benny Green.

That Elastic Band tour was great. He did some great extended a capella playing and used a stomp box to lay loops down and play over them on the fly. I kept wanting to think it was somehow cheezy, gimmicky, or he wasn't pulling it off, but he is the real deal. If you don't like his playing... I don't think you would like him as a person. I got to meet him and talk with him through volunteering for the jazz festival. It was a casual setting where everybody was killing a bit of time and we didn't really talk about music, but coffee and food, places, people, funny stuff.

He seems to be a really hard working guy, very focused, aware of who he is, where he is, and what he is trying to pull off. Pretty down to earth, let's face it we are the only people who know who he is. He seems to be really into his young family and has a life. The stage and studio are his office. The shows are the only glamorous part. He gets up every day and goes to work just like everybody. The concert he played was great. Better than great. For me it was the hundred dollar music lesson. I heard him pulling chords apart and voicing them over three octaves moving each voice in a melodic line. I have been working that stuff out for like two years now.

His playing and conception have grown consistently every time I have seen him.

You can listen to CDs, watch YouTube all day... there is no substitute for sitting right in front of these guys.

 

[littlewailer]

@ Custard - Umm... isn't he like in his 40's now?

I've basically given up on the new Josh Redman. This "personal" music he's been putting out in his last albums just doesn't speak to me in any was like his first ones which were more hard bop ish and his electric phase which IMO was the Sh**! I will just continue to listen to those albums and enjoy the music he has put out rather than the stuff he is currently putting out.

 

[tenorcat]

How many times have you seen him?

 

[littlewailer]

None. I just have bought all of his albums and have hoped to see him for a long time. I basically stopped buying his music around Back East

 

[JL]

...go see him play. This jazz music stuff is a live art form. Records are but a snapshot in time.

You can listen to CDs, watch YouTube all day... there is no substitute for sitting right in front of these guys.

+1000! Man do I agree with this. Probably should be a separate thread, but yeah get out and see the music live. Unfortunately so many of the great jazz musicians from the 'golden era' are gone now. But there are still great players out there so check them out. I can attest to the live vs recorded experience, having seen many, many live shows way back when, then listening to the recordings and it's a completely different experience. The recordings are fine, but in many (most) cases, only a shadow of the real thing.

To the OP: Joshua Redmond is actually very well known for a jazz musician, and highly respected. At least as well known as Branford Marsalis. But don't worry about how well know someone is. Search out live music. You'll have more opportunity to do that as you get older, of course (until/unless you get caught up in the job/family, etc etc).

 

[tenorcat]

There are things about Joshua Redman's playing that bother me and aren't my favorite things to hear him do. But, he is who he is and not trying to be anybody he isn't. Hasn't he developed a personal conception? What more do we want? Don't you think most players could recognize him in two bars?

I think more so when he was younger, I could hear him thinking. The quartet he has now has pushed him to a place where I can't hear him thinking. You know what I'm talking about. You hear players that not quite ready for prime time, they have brain fade or get momentarily lost or raggedy phrases. They are trying to remember the Badd licks they were practicing in their bedroom... not being in the moment and playing with the group. After three tunes you heard it all... or two tunes.

There are things that sonny Rollins plays that don't really resonate well with me. It doesn't stop me from wanting to see him or loving the guy.

I got a pile of Coltrane records, CDs, box sets. I never listen to Trane, except on Christmas day or my birthday... or he gets played on KMHD.org. Trane disturbs me. I love Trane so much, but a lot of him just tears me apart.

In fact, I haven't bought recordings in 10 years. All my records, CDs and stereo gear has been in storage for ever and the radio in my truck barely works. I watch some YouTube, but I would rather spend the time playing.

Somebody gave me Freedom in the Groove, I listened to that a lot, but unless I heard it on the radio, I have no idea what any of his records are like. I only know what he sounds like live.

JL, remember the billboard going north bound on 101 by Almany Blvd.??? IS IT LIVE OR IS IT MEMOREX? The guy slunched down in the chair with his hair and tie blowing back from the cranked stereo? I said, Is is Live or is it Memorex? to somebody the other day. They had no idea what I was talking about. You know Steve at Coastside Recorders in Pescadero by any chance? He told me, recordings are the same every time you listen to them. That's it all you get.

I haven't seen Joshua play the same thing twice.

How about this; There are a lot of sax players that for what ever reason registered on my BS Meter. When I finally got to see them play live, I was sold. The records were BS. I was prepared to not like any kind of jive at all, but when musicians can play a burning set, burning solos and get the audience to dig it, that is the test. Guys like Richard Elliot, Boney James, Nelson Rangel, Jeff Kashawa, Andy Snitzer, Eric Marionthal... good players, good performers. Do I listen to or buy their records? NO. I would go see them play though.

I'm going to go see Azar Lawrence next week, I hope. Looking forward to Sonny Rollins play with the symphony soon. I was a music fan before I was ever a player, and I'm always going to be a fan.