By Chris Hovan

Dyed-in-the-wool jazzers are a fickle bunch, though they prefer to call that fickleness a keen ability to discern the real deal from common posing. Too often, however, they equate the starving artist ideal with true artistic integrity, simultaneously ignoring anyone who may attain some modicum of commercial appeal. This makes it even more remarkable that saxophonist Joshua Redman has been the darling of jazz lovers for a decade now, appealing both to new fans and those seasoned listeners who appreciate the sense of history and tradition that Redman lays bare with his horn. All this has been accomplished while avoiding a free ride on the coattails of Joshua's famous father Dewey, a true innovator known for his work with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett during the '60s and '70s.

Ironically, a music career was almost an afterthought for the 33-year-old saxophonist, who was poised to enter Yale Law School after graduating summa cum laude and a Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard in 1991. Academics had always taken first priority, even while his mother exposed him to a rich smorgasbord of musical treats, from Indonesian gamelan to the funky strains of Earth, Wind & Fire.

"My life as a musician is in some ways quite an accident and I didn't plan for any of this," Redman states during a phone conversation from his home in New York. "And I think because I didn't plan for it, it's made it all the more thrilling and exciting."

While studying at Harvard, Redman often hung out at the Berklee College of Music, a habit that led to playing with Delfeayo Marsalis during his senior year. Soon he would make a father-and-son gig with Dewey at the Village Vanguard during the summer of 1990. A year later, Redman moved to New York, initially planning to take a brief musical break from his scholarly pursuits, but a first-place win at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition altered his career path. Subsequently, Redman began to lead a new renaissance movement, eventually becoming a serious mainstream artist with strong commercial appeal and eight critically acclaimed albums to his name.

What seems to appeal to those with an inclination towards Redman's muse is his ability to speak in a distinguished mode, not just via his saxophone skills, but also through his songwriting. Starting with his debut release in 1992, original compositions have served as fodder for his improvisational forays. Interestingly enough, just as music seemed to be almost a chance career, so, too, have his endeavors as a composer.

"I've always considered myself a player first and a writer second," states Redman. "Composition was never something that I did for most of my musical life, and it's something that is relatively new to me. But I feel that it's been pretty essential in helping me develop my own conception in terms of what I want with the bands that I've led."

For his latest project, Redman abandons the quartet format that has served him well in the past, opting for a trio that features New York organist Sam Yahel and drummer Brian Blade, who is just as well known for his jazz credentials as he is for backing such pop icons as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

"What we're doing is less of that kind of ëdown-home' thing, coming more from a Larry Young thing as it is coming from a Jimmy Smith thing." Clarifying the group's intentions further, Redman adds, "We're definitely not playing grits-and-gravy organ music, it's a much more open and interactive approach. At this point, it feels very creative and fresh and I'm excited to see how it's going to develop."

A brief six-city tour this past spring gave the trio a chance to hone their collective voice before going into the studio to cut Elastic. So where does Redman see himself five or 10 years down the line, given his predisposition for serendipitous greatness?

"Hopefully I'll still be open to surprise and adventure -- that's what it's all about for me."

Click here for our review of Joshua Redman's 2002 trio release, Elastic.