WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Joshua Redman acknowledges that the title of his new Blue Note album, Words Fall Short, could be viewed ironically. His previous and widely acclaimed Where Are We was his first to pair a vocalist with one of his many monumental Quartets; yet Words Fall Short is anything but a comment on the saxophonist’s last triumph. More accurately, his latest offering is an organic next step, a collection of previously unheard originals brought to life by inspiring new collaborators. “It’s impossible for me to will a project into being,” he says of the wide-ranging adventures he has embarked upon in what is now his fourth decade as a recording artist. “This album came out of a working environment that inspired me to dig into compositions that hadn’t found a home yet.”
The process began as the first leg of Redman’s Where Are We Tour concluded and pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Brian Blade each left to honor other commitments.
In building a new rhythm section, Redman found himself drawn to younger players he had recently encountered. Bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo came aboard first, and Redman quickly knew he had made the right moves. “Not since Christian McBride can I recall experiencing an acoustic jazz bassist who seemingly has it all together at such a young age,” he says of Norris, “and Nazir has groove in spades, a groove that is super-flexible, in the flow of the moment and with an innate sense of architecture that always serves the song.” By summer of 2023, pianist Paul Cornish had completed the quartet’s transformation. “Paul is the perfect balance of empath and contrarian, challenging everyone to break away from the established patterns, while still always making the music feel good and natural in the moment.”
As the new quartet performed steadily over the next several months, Redman felt a vibe developing, one brought to fruition by a stack of music the saxcaphonist created during the pandemic.
