Very few saxophonists dare into the territory of the trio format. Redman has done it before, and quite successfully, in various formats, but this is his first in concert one. The most important qualities a saxist has to have to not get swallowed up in the trio space is to have a big sound. Redman more than qualifies with his wonderfully voluminous tenor, as he demonstrates here on “Never Let Me Go” and “Mack the Knife” where he fills the room with glory. Second necessity is a sense of incessant rhythm, no matter how far you indulge in your solo. Once again Redman makes it work, as he delivers a bel canto unaccompanied solo on soprano before sliding into his own “Mantra #5.” Lastly, you’ve got to deliver interesting material, and Redman again pulls through as he mixes originals with standards, and even pulls a Led Zeppelin heavy metal piece like “The Ocean” and makes it work to thrilling perfection. The two sets of teammates from the gig in NYC and DC consist of “Gregory Hutchinson on the drums and Matt Penman or Reuben Rogers on bass. These guys are anything but a “supporting” band, as they go back and forth in the dialogue as on “Trinkle, Tinkle” and “Soul Dance” like an all star infield. Excellent outing, and he’s on tour right now as well, so try to check him out.
Nonesuch Records