Dec 01 2008
Some Joshua Redman for Your Monday
I know, I know, I go on and on about jazz musicians who last played their best work in the middle of the 1950s. Perhaps I spend too much time dwelling in the past, you say. I agree with you and would even suggest you have a point.
The problem I have is that so much of what is considered modern jazz is also known as “Smooth” Jazz. If you are a fan of Smooth Jazz, good for you, but I personally can’t stand it. It’s boring and sounds like the kind of background music you’d hear at a doctor’s office. It somehow makes Muzak sound interesting to me.
I like the daring and boldness of Parker, Davis and Coltrane. I like how passionately they play. I love the improvisations and the wild playing that you’d hear them play. To some people, it’s noise, and I can understand that, but to me it’s brilliant.
There are some contemporary musicians in jazz who play in that way. One of my favorites has always been saxophonist Joshua Redman. I remember his first CD release and playing it on the jazz station at Webster University. It was very similar to a Coltrane or any of the classic jazz sax players, but he wasn’t just covering jazz standards. He was creating new music in the standard tradition.
The Marsalis family is another group of musicians that are doing something similar. I am a particular fan of Wynton Marsalis who reminds me of a Miles Davis very much. But I will save a discussion of the Marsalis Family for a different time.
What I wanted to present to you was some Josh Redman for your Monday. He started so young and is filled with so much talent you wonder just where he might end up and how he might help develop and change the entire genre.
This is a tune with him playing with his Elastic Band. Joshua is the lead guy on the sax. Brian Blade is on drums. Sam Yahel is doing the jazz organ. I am not a big fan of jazz organ, but Joshua and his guys make this one work for me. This is Joshua and his band playing live, the tune “Jazz Crimes.”
