Album of the week for 25 May-1 June. So what am I digging at the moment? No it is not potatoes although that is always a pretty good career path. Plenty of fresh air for sure. On second thoughts, oh my poor back, my kind of farm is more a band like James Farm — if they are still going. I sincerely hope that they are. Anyway Joshua Redman from that band, actually a sax great no less appearing recently in the marlbank 'Saxophone greats' listicle, is involved as main protagonist. The record is out in late May. I spent most of yesterday's available listening time with it and to be honest did not really want to leave off Still Dreaming, which features the mighty Josh paying tribute to Old and New Dreams a band that his father revered free saxophonist Dewey Redman (ex Keith Jarrett American Quartet back in the 1970s) was in. 

Joshua Redman is in a quartet setting with cornetist Ron Miles (in the Don Cherry role), Scott Colley (Charlie Haden if you like in the casting who actually taught Colley) and Brian Blade from the Wayne Shorter Quartet in the Ed Blackwell role.

The tribute has several absorbing layers to it, beyond the Old and New Dreams tributary, the river then continues to run on to find the healing waters of Ornette Coleman and then there is the distinctive Joshua Redman sound and approach framing everything. His unbelievable knack is to make everything he plays very accessible yet never trite and actually quite deep in a very heart on sleeve manner. Just think timbre, intuitive flair, and expressivity aiming for his secret ingredient. The band interplay is open and the music goes places you just would not expect even though as an Atlantic period Ornette fan if you are you know the terrain. 'Unanimity' from the album is doing the rounds at the moment, just Google the issuing label Nonesuch site. I can't recommend Still Dreaming enough. Hugely heartening. latest update 25 May 2018

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.