Word: redman
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Joshua Redman brought his highly communicative quartet to Sanders Theater on Sunday night, and it was, in his own words, "a trip." Despite the lingering immaturity of his own saxophone style, Redman has put together a solid jazz group which, with the guest appearance of the greatest bass player of our generation, Christian McBride, put the Sanders Theater stage to good use. The packed house reacted enthusiastically to Redman's every move and indeed there were moments in the show when Redman's playing almost lived up to his charisma and popular appeal...
...there were also times in the performance, especially during Redman's solos, when the level of intensity on stage fell way short of the standard set by the energetic Sanders audience. The majority of the first set performed by the quartet consisted of uninspired jams on simple, repetitive tunes composed by Redman. While this was a version of straight-ahead jazz at its most miasmic, Redman proved later in the set that he is still willing to go out on a limb, even at the risk of alienating his huge following. Redman's sincere version of Ornette Coleman...
...continuing lack of emotional depth and seriousness in much, but not all, of Redman's playing seems to signify a persistent lack of artistic maturity. He has the skills, but not the overall aesthetic sense to find an appropriate setting for them. One of the most aggravating motifs that continually recurs in Redman's playing in his insistence on rising into the shrill falsetto of his tenor sax at utterly inappropriate times. On a ballad entitled "Never End," Redman seemed to mock any legitimate musical statements he may have made earlier in the piece by turning the tenor sax into...
...second set, however, Redman turned up the heat for the Sanders audience. With the support of his excellent rhythm section, Redman's composition, "Lyric," became a tour de force. The long, exotic ballad gradually increased in intensity and tempo until Redman gave the cue for a frenzied modal cycle which provided the framework for his most convincing playing of the evening. Finally, the patented falsetto shrieks had found an appropriate setting. The solo by pianist Peter Martin was one of many mesmerizing offerings by this quintessentially capable sideman...
After "Lyric," Redman invited special guest Christian McBride onto the stage and they played two jaw-dropping duets. McBride's talent is simply beyond description. Einstein was not better at physics and Pele was not better at soccer than McBride is at the bass. This 22-year old, has gone from being a prodigy to being a legend in the space of about two years, and he's still improving. What makes McBride so enjoyable to hear is his combination of ludicrous technical skills with a style that is thoroughly grounded in a traditional jazz feel. On "Ornithology," a challenging...