Joshua Redman

On 12 May 2026 Joshua Redman and his quartet will play at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. The American tenor saxophonist, raised in Berkeley as the son of saxophonist Dewey Redman, found his footing in early-’90s New York clubs and took a decisive step when he won the Thelonious Monk competition in 1991. With early records such as Joshua Redman, Wish and MoodSwing he charted a course between post-bop and contemporary jazz: lyrical melodies, a clear sense of groove, and room for open forms.

In quartet format Redman visibly feels at home. His music shifts between acoustic intensity and colors that sometimes nod toward funk and soul, as heard on Elastic and Momentum. At the same time he has developed long-running collaborations, from the SFJAZZ Collective to projects with The Bad Plus and his duo with Brad Mehldau (Nearness). Recent releases, including Where Are We, reveal his interest in songs and the American repertoire alongside his own compositions.

Live, the focus is on interplay and narrative in the improvisation: themes are stated, taken apart and reshaped. The quartet gives full space to Redman’s tone, with contrasting dynamics and rhythmic turns that gradually open up the set.