By K.D. Norris
Joshua Redman has a long list of impressive credentials on his musician resume, including being nominated for eight GRAMMY awards. But before that he had an equally impressive educational resume, including being a 1991 graduate from Harvard College after which he was accepted to Yale Law School.
But anybody who has seen him on stage, blowing his saxophone and conversing with the crowd, over the years of his now 30+ year career of playing, recording and writing music, knows he is a jazz man thorough and through.
If you already know, or are yet to find out, local jazz fans will undoubtedly get proof positive Jan. 22 on St. Cecilia ’s Royce Auditorium Stage when Redman and his trio lead off St. Cecilia Music Center’s Jazz Series as the first of three concerts in January, March and April.
And, least we forget, St. Cecilia will also debut Winterfest, a three-day winter jazz festival featuring host Christian McBride “and Friends” Feb. 24-26.
“We are so excited to launch four months of great jazz performances this year beginning with Joshua Redman,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive and artistic director, said in supplied material. “Joshua is one of the most talented and sought-after jazz performers around. Along with a prolific body of celebrated recordings over 25 years, Redman has worked with countless jazz contemporaries as a follow performer and bandleader.”
With the concert set to start at 7:30 p.m., tickets for Redman and his band can be purchased online at scmc-online.org or by calling St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) at 616-459-2224.
In addition to Redman, the SCMC Jazz Series includes Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap on March 10, and Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra on April 14. The first-ever WinterFest jazz program – three consecutive nights of jazz — will be hosted by GRAMMY-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride and feature the Christian McBride Trio, singer Cyrille Aimee, fellow bassist Edgar Meyer, and McBride’s legendary quintet Inside Straight.
Redman and his musical journey
Jazz fans can be a little prickly when it comes to their definition of the musical genre, but a supplied quote from JamBase does have a point when they say “When the conversation ensues about who is carrying on the great tradition of jazz musicianship today … if Joshua Redman’s name does not come up, the conversation is not worth having.”
The innovative saxophonist has made believers of critics and fans alike with his live performances and acclaimed recordings. One of his many-faceted musical ventures, The Joshua Redman Quartet, released an album titled “Come What May” in 2019. But his list of jazz collaborations over the years include ones ranging from McCoy Tyner to Brad Mehldau.
And the members for the original Joshua Redman Quartet are like a who’s who of the genre — Redman saxophone), Brad Mehldau on piano), Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums —a group reunited to release the Grammy-nominated album “RoundAgain” in July 2020.
The son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. Joshua Redman was exposed at an early age by his parents to many genres of music — the story goes — jazz, classical, rock, soul, Indian, Indonesian, Middle Eastern, and African. He was also introduced to a variety of instruments: recorder, piano, guitar, gatham and gamelan. (I had to look those last two up too … they are south Indian and Indonesian percussion instruments.)
After starting off playing clarinet at nine years old, Redman switched to what is his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone. So, of course, his stated early influences were John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley and his father. But, the story goes, academics were always his priority and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician until he graduated from Harvard and followed some musician friends to New York City in the 1990s.
Things just sort of rolled on from there.
He began jamming and gigging regularly with some of the leading jazz musicians of his generation — Roy Hargrove, to name just one — and five months after moving to New York, Redman was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition.
And things just sort of rolled on from there. Lucky us.
In addition to his own projects, Redman has recorded and performed with musicians as diverse as such as Chick Corea and The Dave Matthews Band, Quincy Jones and The Rolling Stones. And along the way he wrote and performed the music for Louis Malle’s final film “Vanya on 42nd Street “ and is both seen and heard in the Robert Altman film “Kansas City”.
SCMC special pandemic precautions
SCMC currently requires proof of fully vaccinated status, or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours, to attend a concert at the SCMC venue. Attendees need to bring photo ID and proof of vaccination, or a negative test, the night of a concert. Home tests are not accepted. All patrons will be required to wear a mask while in the building for the duration of the concert.
All ticket holders will be notified if mandatory mask requirements are in effect for a particular show by an artist. If you a have tickets to an upcoming performance and are unwilling or unable to abide by this policy, please contact the SCMC box office for a refund at kelly@scmc-online.org a minimum of 48 hours prior to the concert date.
For complete information on all shows at St. Cecilia, visit scmc-online.org.
