words fall short

Joshua Redman acknowledges that the title of his new Blue Note album, Words Fall Short, could be viewed ironically. His previous and widely acclaimed where are we was his first to pair a vocalist with one of his many monumental Quartets; yet Words Fall Short is anything but a comment on the saxophonist’s last triumph. More accurately, his latest offering is an organic next step, a collection of previously unheard originals brought to life by inspiring new collaborators.“It’s impossible for me to will a project into being,” he says of the wide-ranging adventures he has embarked upon in what is now his fourth decade as a recording artist.“This album came out of a working environment that inspired me to dig into compositions that hadn’t found a home yet.”

In building a new rhythm section, Redman found himself drawn to younger players he had recently encountered. Norris and Ebo came aboard first, and Redman quickly knew he had made the right moves. “Not since Christian McBride can I recall experiencing an acoustic jazz bassist who seemingly has it all together at such a young age,” he says of Norris, “and Nazir has groove in spades, a groove that is super-flexible, in the flow of the moment, and with an innate sense of architecture that always serves the song.” By the summer of 2023, Cornish had completed the quartet’s transformation. “Paul is the perfect balance of empath and contrarian, challenging everyone to break away from established patterns, while still always making the music feel good and natural in the moment.”

Cornish, Norris, and Ebo impress on each of the album’s eight tracks. While they have moments to emerge and take the spotlight, they also provide a distinctive ensemble personality, one in which spontaneity and sensitivity keep the music fluid yet coherent. They are a rhythm section with character, one in sync with the priorities of their leader. “My approach to bandleading is unchanged,” Redman says. “Play with the best musicians I can find, virtuosos who have mastered all the different jazz vocabularies, but who are also great listeners and collaborators — who know how to express their individual brilliance through group improvisation and collective interaction.”

Redman will be celebrating the album release with shows at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City from June 20-22, with additional tour dates across the U.S. and Europe this summer.