Joshua Redman - New Bearings
Friday, January 30, 2009
There are a few surprises in store for long term fans of Joshua Redman. A looser, freer feel, a “double trio” and the sense that, as the title Compasssuggests, Redman has found a new direction. Andy Robson catches up with Redman in the wake of Barack Obama’s election victory and a period of change in Redman’s own life with the birth of his son.
Inspiration. Forever elusive, it can turn your life around. Or it can evaporate in a twinkling. But inspirations don’t get bigger than this: Barack Obama, a black man of African American heritage is President of the United States of America. He’s commander in chief. Head honcho. Numero uno.
Jewish mum, “my hero” as Redman still refers to her, but had a black dad in radical saxophonist Dewey Redman. And both grew up without their fathers around. Both men have an easeful personal charm, a verbal facility and an inclination toward the intellectual which is splendidly unfashionable. Obama got to follow narratives (be they social or jazz centric) the sharing and celebration of multiple racial, ethnic and religious experiences might yet have a future. Even when Redman lost his major deal, dropped the smoother sounds and guest artistes, escaped the rock and funk of Elastic and explored the fundamental
The main man. And Josh Redman is loving it. “It’s a huge inspiration: talk about emotional the (Harvard) law career Redman spurned. There’s even, bizarrely, an Indonesian connection. Obama jazz format of the trio for 2006’s Back East , critics rounded on it as the best Sonny Rollins album since catharsis! There’s this sense of a weight being lifted, of relief. As an American, as an American of African descent, it feels really, really good. It feels great! Possibly it’s the most significant historical event that I’ve ever been around to witness. It’s huge.” And when Redman, normally so considered, so urbane, so moderate in expression talks in such expansive terms, you listen.
This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #127 – to read the full article Subscribe Here