Joshua Redman on Quincy Jones, singing through the saxophone, and exploring America’s classic songs

Joshua Redman is one of the most versatile saxophonists working today, having come to prominence in the early 90s and working with everyone from Quincy Jones to the Rolling Stones. His newest album, with vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa, is “ where are we.” Al Davis and Va Lynda Robinson spoke with him before his show at Berklee Performance Center on Friday, November 8th.

Va Lynda Robinson: Hi Joshua!

Joshua Redman: Hello!

Al Davis: Thanks for talking to us today. You’re playing at the Berklee Performance Center on Friday night!

Joshua Redman: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got some fairly deep roots in Boston. I went to school there for four years, I’ve got family there. Some of my earliest gigs ever were in Boston at the Regatta Bar. We’re coming to Berklee Performance Center this time, which I’ve played quite a few times over the decades. It’s a cliche, but in the case of Boston, I really mean it: it’s a home away from home.

Va Lynda Robinson: You mentioned that you went to school here, and I know you said you went to Harvard. But you were going to go to law school! So tell me, if you weren’t a musician, would you have become a lawyer?

Joshua Redman: Well, at that time, law school was sort of what a lot of people did when they didn’t know what they wanted to do next, and I think I was one of them. My major was called “social studies.” It kind of became known as the lefty pre-law major – a lot of progressive-minded students came out of social studies and applied to law school. But I never saw myself as a practicing lawyer at a firm. And I definitely didn’t think that I would be a good advocate in the courtroom. I would have been a pretty lousy lawyer!

Va Lynda Robinson: But I got to tell you, being accepted into Yale Law School is an accomplishment!

Joshua Redman: Well, I was good on paper! It’s funny, excuse the pun, but almost 40 years later I’m still relitigating the story of my life. It just seems I’m so far from that now, you know? I’ve been blessed to be able to play the music that I love with the greatest musicians in the world, and I’m continuing to do so. It’s a true luxury.

Al Davis: I grew up listening to your dad’s music, the music of Dewey Redman. You come from a musical background, but what made you get into jazz? And what made you pick up the tenor sax, like your father?

Joshua Redman: I think some of it was a conscious process and some of it was probably a subconscious process. I grew up with my father’s music, but I did not grow up with my father in the house. My mom and dad were never married, and by the time I was born, my dad was already living in New York, so my mom raised me. I grew up in Berkeley, California, so I didn’t know my father well. I knew his music but from the time I was born until the time I actually went up to the East Coast, I may have seen him ten times. But I always loved my father’s music, of course, and I loved the sound of the tenor sax as played by so many of the great tenor saxophonists in jazz. I thought my father was one of them, with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Stan Jackson, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, you know, all my influences. I just loved the sound of the instrument and so I always felt drawn to it. I never thought that I was doing it to “follow in my father’s footsteps,” but there’s probably a lot going on subconsciously there.

My goal is to sing through my instrument. I can’t sing, I have a horrible singing voice, but I feel like that’s something that almost everyone aspires to, that sort of connectedness with music and with your instrument and your ability to express yourself through your instrument in the way a vocalist would. And I think that the saxophone within instrumental jazz is one of the most vocal instruments. So I think that was part of my attraction to it as well.

Va Lynda Robinson: I know that you’ve recorded about two dozen albums, and one of my favorites is from 1998, “Timeless Tales for Changing Times.” How do you feel about that recording?

Joshua Redman: You know, I actually prefer not to listen to any of my recordings. I think I need a good 25 years of distance! So does that fall within that? I guess it does. Maybe I should go back and listen to that one! I love to play music, but I don’t like to listen to myself play music. But when you’re making a recording, that’s all you’re doing, you have to! I try to create the best album I can and make it the most honest and genuine creative expression of where we are as a band at that time, but after that, I want to be done with it. I do love recording, though. Obviously live performance is the heart and soul of jazz music but recording gives you an opportunity to engage with the material in a more focused and intimate way. I’m very grateful to have recorded as much as I have and to continue to be able to.

Al Davis: Now, speaking of recordings, you recorded with some heavyweights. Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Dave Matthews, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Yo-Yo Ma, McCoy Tyner, even Stevie Wonder! You got a hell of a resumé. That experience alone, playing with those musicians, must have taken you to a whole different level musically.

Joshua Redman: Absolutely. To the extent that I am anything as a musician it is because of the opportunities I’ve had to play with the greatest musicians in the world. I’ve been able to play not only with so many of my idols, heroes and elders of the music, but also with so many of my peers. I mean, they’re not really my peers, they’re so much better than I am, but when I first hit the scene I got to play with Christian McBride and Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson. And now I’m not the young guy anymore! I have an opportunity with the band that I’m out on the road with now, they’re all 20 something, they’re incredible musicians and I’m learning so much from them.

Va Lynda Robinson: Now you’re the veteran! How does that feel?

Joshua Redman: I didn’t say I was the veteran. I just said I wasn’t the young guy anymore! *laughs* It feels weird because I don’t feel like a veteran. I feel like I’m still a kid just trying to figure this out. I just feel grateful. I feel grateful to be able to have had the life in this music that I’ve had and the career that I’ve had. I don’t want to get too political but election night was not an easy night for many of us. But we have the luxury of being able to go on stage, you know, in front of whomever might come and make music together. That’s a powerful act. To make good music with people, for people, requires a tremendous amount of empathy and commitment and focus. But it’s also an incredible luxury, and it’s something that I will always remain grateful for.

Al Davis: I wanted to ask you: we just lost a great composer and artist in Quincy Jones. What was it like working with him?

Joshua Redman: Well, I was super lucky that I got to play on a record of his called “Q’s Jook Joint.” He was magical. Even then, before anyone was using the term “goat,” he was obviously one of the greatest figures in music. So this was probably '93 and I’m walking to a studio in L.A. with one of the greatest figures in American music ... and world music! And yet I walked into the room with him and he made me feel like I belonged, even though I didn’t! The warmth and the empathy that he had and the intelligence and the curiosity in his eyes, and the enthusiasm and the wonder that he had, it was like being with a magician.

Al Davis: So you’re coming to Berklee tomorrow night. Tell us a little about the show people are gonna see.

Joshua Redman: We’re still with this band touring behind the record that I made for Blue Note Records that came out a little over a year ago: “where are we.” The record is about many things, but almost every song on the record refers to or is about in some way a place in America. It’s kind of a journey through the country. It’s a celebration of America in some ways. Critique would be too strong a word, but it’s also a questioning and an examination of America. A lot of these are classic songs. Some of them come from the American Songbook. Some of them are jazz originals. Some of them are more modern pop compositions. But it’s all kind of arranged to fit our aesthetic in this band. We’re also working out some new music! It’s a fantastic band, and the first I’ve ever had with a vocalist. Her name is Gabrielle Cavassa, and she’s quite phenomenal. The pianist is Paul Cornish, the bassist is Philip Norris, and the drummer is Nazir Ebo.

Al Davis: Well Joshua, we appreciate you taking the time out to have a conversation with us!

Joshua Redman: Appreciate you as well!

Al Davis: And hopefully folks come out and support live jazz and support what you’re doing on this project. Thank you! 

Joshua Redman: Thank you. Thank you. My pleasure.

Joshua Redman’s new album is called “where are we,” and he performs on November 8th at Berklee Performance Center.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.