Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an Americanjazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonistDewey Redman (1931–2006).

Joshua Redman
Redman at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Joshua Redman Shedroff
Born	(1969-02-01)February 1, 1969 (age 56) Berkeley, California
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument(s)	Tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, keyboards
Labels	Blue Note
Website	www.joshuaredman.com

Joshua Redman was born inBerkeley, California, to jazz saxophonistDewey Redman and dancer and librarian Renee Shedroff.^[1] He is Jewish.^[2][3] He was exposed to many kinds of music at the Center for World Music in Berkeley, where his mother studied South Indian dance. Some of his earliest lessons in music and improvisation were on recorder withgamelan playerJody Diamond. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of musics and instruments and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. Redman has said he is self-taught on the saxophone and has citedJohn Coltrane,Ornette Coleman,Cannonball Adderley, his fatherDewey Redman, as well as theBeatles,Aretha Franklin,The Temptations,Earth, Wind and Fire,Prince,The Police andLed Zeppelin as musical influences.^[4]

Redman graduated fromBerkeley High School,^[5] class of 1986, after having been a part of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble for all four years of high school. After graduation, Joshua frequented the classroom jam sessions of Bay Area pianist and professor of music (at Laney College in Oakland, California), Ed Kelly. It was there that he performed alongside saxophonistRobert Stewart.^[6]

In 1991, he graduatedsumma cum laude with a degree inSocial Studies fromHarvard University, where he was a member ofPhi Beta Kappa Society. He had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. Some of his friends had recently relocated to Brooklyn, and they were looking for another housemate to help with the rent. Redman accepted their invitation to move in, and almost immediately he found himself immersed in the New York jazz scene. He began jamming and gigging regularly with some of the leading jazz musicians of his generation and that of his father, includingBrad Mehldau,Peter Martin,Mark Turner,Peter Bernstein,Roy Hargrove,Christian McBride,Kevin Hays,Jorge Rossy,Pat Metheny,Charlie Haden andBilly Higgins, among others.

Redman won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991, and began focusing on his musical career. He was signed by Warner Bros. Records and issued his first self-titled album in the spring of 1993, which subsequently earned Redman his first Grammy nomination. He continued to develop his style throughout the 1990s, beginning with a sideman appearance onElvin Jones'Youngblood alongsideJavon Jackson, and following up with an appearance on his father Dewey's 1992 recordChoices. On his second album as a leader,Wish, he was joined by a notable lineup consisting of guitaristPat Metheny, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins; this group then toured asThe 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 keyboardistSam Yahel and drummerBrian Blade. The trio debuted under the monikerYaya3, producing one album under this name. The same group of musicians made up the core on Redman'sElastic album, before becoming known as theJoshua Redman Elastic Band. Some of his works were featured onThe Weather Channel'sLocal on the 8s. Redman performed in a fictitious supergroup, "The Louisiana Gator Boys", in the 1998 filmBlues Brothers 2000, performing on "How Blue Can You Get?" and "New Orleans". Redman also appeared alongsideRoy Hargrove and others on a series of albums released in the 1990s onRCA Novus by the Jazz Networks, an ensemble of American and Japanese musicians who focused on re-interpreting jazz standards primarily for the Japanese market.

In 1999, Joshua Redman was immortalized in the children's TV showArthur onPBS. He appeared in the tenth episode of the fourth season ("My Music Rules"), where it was rumored by the characters that he would get in a fight with famed cellistYo-Yo Ma, who also appeared in the episode. Instead, when the two meet they are revealed to be fans of each other's music and collaborate together on a song to entertain children.

In 2000, Redman was named Artistic Director for the Spring Season of the non-profit jazz-presenting organizationSFJAZZ. Redman co-founded the SFJAZZ with Executive Director Randall Kline, as theSFJAZZ Collective, an ensemble distinguished by the creativity of its members and a primary emphasis on composition.

In 2004, Redman first sat in withUmphrey's McGee at their performance inBoston, Massachusetts, at theParadise Rock Club.^[7] Redman has collaborated with Umphrey's McGee around 20 times since,^[8] including an all-improvised set inMadison, Wisconsin^[9] in January 2016.

In 2006, he performed with the New Zealand Symphony orchestra in composerJohn Psathas' concerto for saxophone and drumkit, Omnifenix, which was released in Rattle Records' album, View from Olympus. The album wonBest Classical Album for 2007Archived April 13, 2017, at theWayback Machine in the New Zealand music awards.

In March 2007, Redman announced that he was taking a hiatus from both the SFJAZZ Artistic Directorship and the SFJAZZ Collective in order to focus on new projects. In April 2007, Nonesuch released Redman's first ever piano-less trio record,Back East, featuring Joshua alongside three bass and drum rhythm sections (Larry Grenadier &Ali Jackson, Christian McBride & Brian Blade,Reuben Rogers &Eric Harland) and three guest saxophonists (Chris Cheek, Joe Lovano and Dewey Redman). His January 2009 release,Compass, continued the trio tradition, and even included some tracks with a double-trio setup, featuring saxophone, two basses and two drummers.

Starting in late 2009, Redman began performing with a new collaborative band called James Farm, featuring pianistAaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland. They released their first self-titled album on April 26, 2011 and their follow-up album,City Folk on October 27, 2014.

In 2011, Redman was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists.^[10][11]

In early 2013, it was announced that Redman would release a new collection of vintage and contemporary ballads featuring a jazz quartet and an orchestral ensemble titledWalking Shadows. Produced by Redman's friend and frequent collaborator Brad Mehldau, the album also features Larry Grenadier (bass) and Brian Blade (drums). It was released on May 7, 2013 on Nonesuch. About Walking Shadows, the New York Times says "there hasn’t been a more sublimely lyrical gesture in his 20-year recording career."

On Sunday, December 8, 2013, Redman joined a group of jazz all-stars onstage at theKennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., to pay tribute to honoreeHerbie Hancock in performance. The event aired on December 29, 2013 on CBS.

In 2015, Redman received his third Grammy nomination for his solo on "Friend or Foe" from the albumThe Bad Plus Joshua Redman.

In addition to his own projects, Redman has recorded and performed with musicians includingJoey Alexander,Brian Blade,Ray Brown,Dave Brubeck,Chick Corea,The Dave Matthews Band,Jack DeJohnette,Bill Frisell,Aaron Goldberg,Larry Goldings,Charlie Haden,Herbie Hancock,Roy Hargrove,Roy Haynes, Billie Higgins,Milt Jackson,Elvin Jones,Quincy Jones,Big Daddy Kane,Geoff Keezer,B.B. King, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Letieres Leite & Orkestra Rumpilezz,DJ Logic,Joe Lovano,Yo Yo Ma,Branford Marsalis,Christian McBride,John Medeski,Brad Mehldau,Pat Metheny,Marcus Miller,Paul Motian,Meshell Ndegeocello,Leon Parker,Nicholas Payton,John Psathas,Simon Rattle,Dewey Redman,Dianne Reeves,Melvin Rhyne,The Rolling Stones,The Roots,Kurt Rosenwinkel,John Scofield,Soulive,String Cheese Incident,Clark Terry,Toots Thielemans, The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra,Mark Turner,McCoy Tyner, Umphrey’s McGee,US3,Bugge Wesseltoft,Cedar Walton,Stevie Wonder andSam Yahel.^{[citation needed]}

• Bob Thiele Collective,Louis Satchmo (Red Baron, 1991)
• John Hicks,Friends Old and New (Novus, 1992)
• Elvin Jones,Youngblood (Enja, 1992)
• Joe Lovano,Tenor Legacy (Blue Note, 1993)
• Paul Motian,Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band (JMT, 1993)
• Milt Jackson,The Prophet Speaks (Qwest, 1994)
• Christian McBride,Gettin' to It (Verve, 1995)
• Lionel Hampton,For The Love of Music (MoJazz, 1995)
• Jonny King,Notes from the Underground (Enja, 1996)
• Chick Corea,Remembering Bud Powell (Stretch, 1997)
• Cedar Walton,Roots (Astor Place, 1997)
• McCoy Tyner Super Group,Prelude and Sonata (Key'stone, 1998)
• Kurt Rosenwinkel,Deep Song (Verve, 2005)
• Sam Yahel,Truth and Beauty (Origin, 2007)
• Brad Mehldau,Highway Rider (Nonesuch, 2010)
• Trondheim Jazz Orchestra,Triads and More (MNJ, 2010)
• Ferenc Nemeth,Triumph (Dreamer's Collective, 2012)

• Official website 
• James Farm Official Website
• History by Joshua Redman at Rateyourmusic
• (New England Jazz History Database) Worcester Magazine – "Joshua Redman Launches City Jazz Fest" by Chet Williamson