Joshua Redman: Tiny Desk Concert

Saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman is a regular on NPR’s Jazz Night in America, featured on episodes including a tribute to his father, saxophonist Dewey Redman, and a reunion with his former quartet featuring Brad Mehldau, Jazz Night host Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Since his debut in the 1990s, Redman has built a career thoughtfully exploring every crevice of modern jazz and infusing it with the variety of genres he grew up listening to.

Here, Redman presents cuts from his latest album, Where Are We, a meditation on the complexities of America, featuring new collaborator vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa. In “Chicago Blues,” Redman’s take on a Count Basie classic, and a cover of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Streets of Philadelphia,” Cavassa and Redman dance over the anchoring grooves from bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo, while pianist Paul Cornish delivers a stunning improvised transition between the two songs. For the final selection, Redman opens with an improvisation on “America the Beautiful.” The traditional, patriotic tune is a stark contrast to the ugly inspiration for the plaintive “After Minneapolis” that follows, about the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The song’s growing maelstrom surrounds Redman’s haunting wails and Cavassa’s mournful interpretation of Redman’s lyrics. Throughout, Redman’s solos serve to illustrate why he is one of today’s best saxophonists.

Joshua Redman

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