Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.

Early Childhood
Joshua Redman was born in February 1, 1969, in Berkeley, California. By the time of Joshuas birth, his father, noted saxophonist Dewey Redman, had moved to New York and was playing with Ornette Coleman.

Young Joshuas only contact with his father was hearing his records around the house, and during his infrequent visits to town with Ornette, Keith Jarrett, Old & New Dreams and others. His mother Renee Shedroff, a dancer and librarian, was the driving force that nurtured his creativity.

Redmans formal music training began at age five, when his mother enrolled him in Indonesian and Indian music classes at the Center For World Music. These unique art forms, along with the recordings of Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Dewey Redman were his early influences.

Joshua soon learned to play the recorder, guitar and piano. He listened to popular music, with James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, the Commodores, Parliament-Funkadelic, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles topping the Shedroff household playlist.

While at Harvard, Joshua played in the school jazz band, but that was about it for music - it wasnt practical of shift between an intense study mode and a creative playing mode. His limited playing experiences included a few gigs with Delfeayo Marsalis his senior year; after weeks without practice, Joshua would get on a plane, and show up to the gig.

Start of Career
However, during his summer breaks in Boston, Joshua spent most of his time hanging out with musicians at the Berklee College Of Music and participating in jam sessions. He also debuted with his father at the Village Vanguard in the summer of 1990. His intense listening continued, with his influences expanding to other instruments; McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Kelly, Elvin Jones, Ray Brown, Freddie Hubbard, etc. Redman graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1991, and was accepted to Yale law school.

He was now on his way to a career in civil rights law or social work, but before jumping in, he took another year to cool out. He wanted to check out the music scene in New York - not as a career move, but to have a chance to concentrate on being creative again.

In June of 91, he moved to Brooklyn, in a house with four other musicians. For the first time in his life, he was practicing regularly, playing jam sessions every day, and taking advantage of the New York Jazz scene. He was also playing regularly with Dewey.

Writing Lyrics for Compositions
Joshua began to approach writing only recently; Sublimation was his first composition, written in the Summer of 91. Before that, he never had time, feeling that he didnt want to commit to paper until he was able to create a composition that reflected his own identity.

As this recording vividly attests, he has accomplished his goal. Finally, in late November of 91, Joshua performed at the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Joshua won the contest, and has since performed and/or recorded with Elvin Jones, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Roy Hargrove, the Mingus Dynasty and Big Band, Red Rodney and Paul Motian among many others. He was also voted Best New Artist in 1992 Jazz Times Readers Poll.

Education
He graduated from Berkeley High School, class of 1986. In 1991, he graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. During college, he was called Josh Shedroff (Shedroff being his mother's maiden name).

Gaining Popularity
Redman won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, also in 1991, and began focusing on his musical career. Redman continued to develop his style throughout the 1990s, beginning with a sideman appearance on his father's 1992 record Choices. On his second album as a leader, Wish, he was joined by a notable lineup consisting of guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins; he would later tour this album as The Joshua Redman Quartet, featuring Christian McBride in place of Charlie Haden.

He continued to work with various quartets, including one with pianist Brad Mehldau until forming a new trio, Elastic, with keyboardist Sam Yahel and drummer Brian Blade. The trio debuted under the moniker Yaya3, producing one album under this name. The same group of musicians made up the core on Redman's Elastic album, before becoming known as the Joshua Redman Elastic Band.

Some of his works were featured on The Weather Channel's Local On The 8s. In addition to his efforts with Elastic, Redman was the artistic director of San Francisco's SFJAZZ Collective from 2004-2007. Redman has made a guest appearance on an episode of the TV show Arthur as the uncle of Francine, one of the main characters.

The episode also depicts him in a boxing match against classic cellist Yo-Yo Ma. He also appeared on Reading Rainbow, episode 127 Hip-Cat, in which Redman discussed with host Levar Burton the importance of music and how jazz had affected his life, which he followed with a live performance.

Redman has also appeared on recordings and in live performances by Umphrey's McGee. On his latest album, Back East, Redman paid tribute to Sonny Rollins' 1957 album Way Out West, teaming up with musicians including Brian Blade, Christian McBride, Al Jackson, Joe Lovano, and his late father.