| Saxophonist Joshua Redman may not quite be a | | | | featuring Larry Grenadier, Reuben Rogers, Brian Blade, |
| household name like jazz legends Miles Davis and John | | | | and Gregory Hutchinson. The release of his newest |
| Coltrane, but his contribution to music has been broad | | | | album "Compass" has been called "a further |
| and important. Redman was born February 1, 1969, and | | | | explanation of the trio format" but really represents |
| at age 10 began to play the tenor saxophone. While | | | | Redman's desire to explore new musical avenues and |
| studying in Berkeley's public school system, he was | | | | forge the path for new styles in jazz music. |
| exposed to an exceptional jazz program that nurtured | | | | While his live shows have brought critical acclaim, his |
| his natural abilities and enabled his entry to Harvard, | | | | studio albums have not seen commercial success. |
| where he graduated in 1991. | | | | Many of the current reviews of his material seem to |
| Shortly after graduation, he began to work in earnest | | | | not see the effort that Redman has put into the |
| on his musical career- with his style on saxophone | | | | expansion of jazz as a style. Never content to play |
| influenced by Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Earth Wind | | | | standards, Redman remains one of the few modern |
| and Fire, Led Zeppelin, Dexter Gordon, and more. | | | | jazz composers intent on breaking musical barriers. |
| Perhaps one of the most important influences in his | | | | Joshua plays both tenor and soprano saxophones with |
| music is his father, Dewey Redman, who worked with | | | | his Selmer Super Balanced action tenor, and a Selmer |
| jazz Great Ornette Coleman. His father was rarely | | | | Mark VI soprano rounding out his preferred |
| home during Redman's youth due to a grueling touring | | | | saxophones. |
| schedule. A young Joshua spent hours listening to his | | | | His reed preference is Alexander NY #4s for Tenor |
| father playing on records, in the absence of the man | | | | and DC #3 1/2s for Soprano. |
| himself. | | | | On both tenor and soprano saxophones Joshua uses |
| Redman's communication with his father during his | | | | vintage Otto Link hard rubber mouthpieces, both |
| younger years was often through jazz, and this close | | | | approximately sizes 7 or 7*. |
| emotional link between jazz and family has forged | | | | His current tenor saxophone mouthpiece is from Eric |
| Redman's hyper emotional and communicative style. It | | | | Drake of Saxology and his current soprano |
| may have also influenced Redman's wild and | | | | mouthpiece (as well as his previous tenor mouthpiece) |
| experimental style on saxophone, it is as if Redman is | | | | is from Theo Wanne of Saxophone Mouthpiece |
| trying to send a message back over these recordings, | | | | Heaven. |
| saying to his father and the world "I can speak through | | | | But remember boys and girls, Redman's choice of |
| this medium, too." | | | | saxophones, reeds, and mouthpieces enable Joshua |
| Redman has played saxophone all over the world with | | | | Redman to sound like Joshua Redman, but you're |
| Jack DeJohnette, Pat Methany, Red Rodney and Paul | | | | going to have to do some serious woodshed time if |
| Motian. His current lineup for live performances and | | | | you ever want to approach his unique style of modern |
| recording is an unusual configuration of double-trio | | | | emotionally expressive jazz. |