Acclaimed saxophonist Joshua Redman’s Blue Observe debut the place are we is out now.
Considered one of his most compelling albums to this point, the place are we is a spellbinding musical journey throughout america of America that additionally marks Redman’s first-ever vocal undertaking with the dynamic younger singer Gabrielle Cavassa featured all through together with an excellent band comprised of pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Brian Blade.
“The floor idea of the place are we is somewhat easy,” says Redman. “Every of the songs on the album is about, or not less than makes reference to, a particular geographical location (metropolis or state or area) in america: Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia,” Depend Basie’s “Going To Chicago,” Rodgers & Hart’s “Manhattan,” John Coltrane’s “Alabama,” and so forth… So, on one stage, that is an album ‘about’ America — directly a celebration and a critique.
“However it’s also, to various levels, a ballads album, a requirements album, an album of romantic longing, an album of social reflection, an album of melodic invention, an album of improvisational journey, an album of mashups, maybe even a tribute album of types.”
For added perspective, Redman invited 4 different pals to contribute to the portraits of their native cities: guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel (“Streets of Philadelphia”) and Peter Bernstein (“Manhattan”), trumpeter Nicholas Payton (“Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”), and Joel Ross (“Chicago Blues”). Conceived and deliberate through the pandemic lockdown, Redman says “it was a dream come true to lastly have an opportunity to attach Aaron, Joe, and Brian — three of essentially the most sublimely lyrical and deeply grooving musicians on the planet, who, someway, had by no means earlier than performed collectively as a rhythm part.
“And it was a transformative expertise to collaborate with Gabrielle — a vocalist of unusual type, sincerity, and soul. This was my first time ever recording with a singer on considered one of my very own tasks; and I relished the problem of discovering and inhabiting new musical roles for myself — not solely as a featured soloist and ‘lead,’ but in addition as supportive accompanist and interlocutor.”
“The magic of this specific gathering of musicians,” Redman continues, “was that we had been in a position to come collectively from factors afar, to converge (bodily and creatively) in a selected place at a selected time; and to embrace, with fullest creativeness and with out slightest reservation, the ethic of ‘serving the songs.’ On this sense, the place are we is maybe above all a meditation on the facility and significance of place — the distinctive human magnificence created once we find ourselves in shared bodily areas along with others; the loss, anomie, and angst suffered once we divide ourselves unnaturally and unjustly aside.”
Purchase or stream the place we’re.