Joshua Redman
This is an interview with acclaimed jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman, who discusses his latest album, Where Are We, and his upcoming concert in Denver. Redman talks about the concept behind the album and how he chose the songs for it. He also discusses his collaboration with vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa and their unique album-making process. The interview concludes with Redman discussing his upcoming show at Gates Concert Hall on Friday, March 1.
Steve Roby: Joining us now is Joshua Redman. It’s great to have you with us on KGNU. Welcome.
Joshua Redman: Thank you. It’s great to be with you. I’m Looking forward to coming to Denver.
Roby: Where am I reaching you today?
Redman: I’m at home in Berkeley, California.
Roby: Ah, my old stomping grounds.
Redman: Oh yeah? Mine, too, I guess. I was born and raised here.
Roby: I’m curious about the title of your current album, Where Are We, and if it’s meant to be a question or a phrase, how did the concept come together?
Redman: I’m not sure what it’s meant to be. I think there’s a certain ambiguity, certainly in the title, because the title should be a question, but I intentionally left the question mark off. There is an ambiguity, I guess, in the entire concept of the album; well, on the surface, the surface concept is. It’s an album of songs about places in the United States, which is not a revolutionary concept. It’s been done before and probably far better than I did it.
Roby: What inspired you to develop this theme for this album?
Redman: Well, initially, it was just kind of a way to get started because when Gabrielle Cavassa, the vocalist, when Gabrielle and I decided to make a record together and started planning and searching for songs, it was just such an overwhelmingly vast landscape, a sea of possible material that… I was like, well, here’s a concept to help narrow our choices.
I didn’t necessarily think it was going to stick around. I thought once the creativity started flowing, the concept might disappear. Or at least fade to the background. I think concepts are always better when they’re in the background. If it exists at all, but this one stuck around and, in the end, I mean, certainly, we’re not making any definitive statements about America, but I think that there are some questions and some juxtapositions there on the album… It’s a meditation, in a way…
