Joshua Redman
Beyond
review = A

Joshua Redman has been around too long to be called the new jazz giant, yet he’s too young to be an old timer. At thirty, Redman is a highly regarded sax player with pedigree bloodlines - he’s the son of legendary free jazz sax innovator, Dewey Redman. Young Josh began carving his niche in ’93. His self titled debut established Redman as a charismatic band leader with world class tone and the aura of an -artist-. It’s no surprise he’s been critically acclaimed -and- a commercial hit from day one. He’s also been productive.

With a half dozen records already in his catalog, -Beyond- continues to define Redman’s new traditionalism - hard boppin’ horn work interweaving melodic phrases with a dash of honk and squeak free jazz, juxtaposed against modal, post-fusion rhythms. And then there’s the breathy, tone rich, ballads. Backed by a knockout rhythm section (drums, bass, and piano), Redman plays alto and soprano horns in addition to his trademark tenor. On "Leap Of Faith," another tenor phenom, Mark Turner, joins in, and although less frenetic, the blowing session that ensues is a modern day sax dual reminiscent of "Tenor Madness," the seminal 1956 recording that paired Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane when -they- were both in their early thirties. Don’t wait to read about this one in the history books, now is the time to go -Beyond-.