Joshua Redman
(born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.
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JOSHUA REDMAN TICKETS
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Biography
Redman, who is both
African American and
Jewish American, was born in
Berkeley,
California, to jazz saxophonist
Dewey Redman, and Renee Shedroff. He was exposed to many kinds of music at the Center for World Music in Berkeley, where his mother studied South Indian dance. Some of his earliest lessons in music and improvisation were on recorder with
gamelan player
Jody Diamond.
He graduated from
Berkeley High School [1], class of 1986. In 1991, he graduated
summa cum laude from
Harvard University, where he was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa Society. During college, he was called Josh Shedroff (Shedroff being his mother's maiden name).
Redman won the
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, also in 1991, and began focusing on his musical career. Redman continued to develop his style throughout the 1990s, beginning with a sideman appearance on
Elvin Jones' "Youngblood" alongside Javon Jackson (recorded at Van Gelder studios in April 1991), and following up with an appearance on his father Dewey's 1992 record
Choices
. On his second album as a leader,
Wish
, he was joined by a notable lineup consisting of
guitarist
Pat Metheny,
bassist Charlie Haden, and
drummer Billy Higgins; he would later tour this album as
The Joshua Redman Quartet
, featuring
Christian McBride in place of Charlie Haden . He continued to work with various quartets, including one with
pianist Brad Mehldau until forming a new trio,
Elastic
, with keyboardist Sam Yahel and drummer
Brian Blade. The trio debuted under the moniker
Yaya3
, producing one album under this name. The same group of musicians made up the core on Redman's
Elastic
album, before becoming known as the
Joshua Redman Elastic Band
. Some of his works were featured on
The Weather Channel's
Local On The 8s
.
In addition to his efforts with
Elastic
, Redman was the artistic director of
San Francisco's
SFJAZZ Collective from 2004-2007. Redman has made a guest appearance on an episode of the TV show
Arthur
as the uncle of Francine, one of the main characters. The episode also depicts him in a
boxing match against classic cellist
Yo-Yo Ma. He was a sideman in the Japanese blues group,
The Seatbelts that did the music for
Cowboy Bebop. He also appeared on
Reading Rainbow
, episode 127 "Hip-Cat," in which Redman discussed with host
Levar Burton the importance of music and how jazz had affected his life, which he followed with a live performance.
Redman has also appeared on recordings and in live performances by
Umphrey's McGee.
[2] On his album,
Back East
, Redman paid tribute to
Sonny Rollins' 1957 album
Way Out West
, teaming up with musicians including Brian Blade, Christian McBride, Al Jackson, Joe Lovano, and his late father.
Redman was also an inaugural member of the
Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists.
[3]
Discography
As leader
right
Title
| Year of Release
| Label
|
|
Joshua Redman
| 1993
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Wish
| 1993
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Moodswing
| 1994
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Joshua Redman Captured Live
| 1994
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Spirit of the Moment - Live at the Village Vanguard
| 1995
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Freedom in the Groove
| 1996
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Timeless Tales for Changing Times
| 1998
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Beyond
| 2000
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Passage of Time
| 2001
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Elastic
| 2002
| Warner Bros.
|
|
| Momentum
| 2005
| Nonesuch
|
|
| Back East
| 2007
| Nonesuch
|
|
| Compass
| 2009
| Nonesuch
|
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As sideman
With Jonny King
- Notes from the Underground
(1996, Enja Records)
References
- PBS - JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns: Selected Artist Biography - Joshua Redman
- The Bottom Half mp3s, The Bottom Half music downloads, The Bottom Half songs from eMusic.com
- Independent Music Awards - Past Judges