BACK EAST - JOSHUA REDMAN
Arguably the brightest star of the new jazz generation of the ’90s, Joshua Redman has consistently recorded top-drawer albums that have explored stratospheric altitudes of ensemble interplay and improvisation. But the saxophonist has outdone himself with his latest and most accomplished outing, “Back East.” Largely a sax trio date (remarkably, Redman’s first) with three different bass-drum rhythm sections, the CD is a milestone of melodic grace and majestic whimsy. Spurred by Sonny Rollins’ classic 1957 album “Way Out West” and inspired in stretches by Eastern music influences (especially on the strikingly mysterious “Zarafah”), Redman lifts off with his own distinctive harmonic fuel on tunes ranging from Wayne Shorter’s “Indian Song,” with additional power supplied by guest saxist Joe Lovano, to Coltrane’s “India,” buoyed by the leader’s legendary dad, Dewey Redman, captured on his last recording date before passing. Billboard
