Customer Reviews

Elastic

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joshua Redman appeared on the scene in the early 1990's, receiving much critical acclaim as a 'be-bop' revivalist of sorts. Jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny was amongst those who, early on, sang his praises (Metheny also wrote and performed on some of Redman's early records). Those early CDs revealed Joshua Redman to be an extraordinarily gifted (albeit somewhat imitative) tenor sax player with his feet firmly planted in the 'bop' tradition.

But Redman's work of late has been evolving to some degree... which has some jazz critics (and some 'purists') crying foul. They say he has abandoned the straight-ahead 'be-bop' that characterised his first efforts. That may well be true; but to me this is a good thing. After a decade of making records (many of them highly praised) he has already proven he has the jazz 'chops'... so maybe he felt it was time to try something a little different.

On his latest, 'Elastic' he is working with Sam Yahel (piano, keyboards, organ) and jazz drummer extraordinaire, Mr. Brian Blade. Brian Blade alone would be worth the price of admission here. His drumming on 'Elastic' is even more energetic and adventurous than on his own albums. He handles his drum kit like a gladiator... snare drums snap... cymbals sizzle... and the bass drum booms like THUNDER ! Brian Blade doesn't just play his drums... he actually makes them DANCE and SING !

Meanwhile, Sam Yahel's groove-oriented Hammond organ playing keeps things moving along nicely... both on the slow, soulful ballads and also the more up-tempo funk numbers.

As for Joshua Redman, he still displays the same dazzling technique and the rich 'earthy' tone he's become famous for. His saxophone swoops and swirls over the funky grooves laid down by his bandmates Yahel and Blade. He seems to be content to share the spotlight here... and he also genuinely seems to be enjoying himself within this trio setting.

Joshua Redman fans who have not listened since his 'be-bop' days will be in for a little surprise on this one. But I do wish to emphasize that this new record is NOT a "smooth jazz" type of CD. There are no sequencers or other studio gimmicks here. And the music itself is far too sophisticated to be tossed in with the 'smooth jazz' crowd. Instead, what we have here are three jazz musicians who KNOW HOW TO PLAY making real live jazz music... but in a slightly skewered (and more listener-friendly) groove-oriented style.

This one is great for music fans who like intelligent, yet funky & accessible jazz music. Excellent... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

"Elastic" by the new Joshua Redman trio is not a smooth jazz disc. It has more musicianship and creativity than any smooth jazz collection. Calling this CD smooth jazz is like calling your wife an acquaintance of yours.

I admit, this CD is a departure of what I've come to expect from Redman. Actually, that's not true because one thing that impresses me about Redman is his music is organic and always changing. What I should say is the texture and direction of this CD really surprised me when I first listened to it. Now, three days after I bought it, I've listened to it about a dozen times.

The highlights for me are "Jazz Crimes", "Can a Good Thing Last Forever", and "Still Pushin' That Rock". However, today, I discovered new flourishes, grooves, and nuances in "The Birthday Song" that have made those two tracks my new favorites on the CD. You won't be disappointed if you buy this CD.

Because I couldn't decide about giving this album 4 or 5 stars I listened to it very closely. With an album that's pretty funky that's not something I do very often. That kind of music must get to you, without paying too much attention.
Elastic proved that attitude to be wrong. This jazz/funk/fusion-album yields it's hidden secrets when you really start to listen.
Two important reasons for the five stars I decided to give:

1. There's a combination of some of the worlds finest musicians in jazz on this album: Redman, Yahel and Brian Blade (I know there are some other descent musicians on the face of the earth, but they just don't play on this album...). They play together very well, great breaks and accents, shared solo's, drumsolo's in the break etc. For those who miss the bassplayer easily when he's not around: the organ takes over the bassplaying, sometimes sounding like Marcus Miller or T.O.P.
Joshua Redman's playing has two sides: he can be fast and his virtuosity is great but his personal style is a bit slow (by a guitarist that's called a slowhand?). Sometimes that keeps the swing/funk from getting loose. Good or bad? Decide for yourself.
Sam Yahel plays piano, Hammond, Fender Rhodes etc. on this album. He really isn't a dull player, wich sometimes happens when there is an organ involved. Where he starts playing, solo or background, there's something good going on. He uses a lot of different sounds.
Brian Blade is maybe the best drummer I've seen play live. He can do almost everything with his drums and he can really fill every space the rythm of a tune gives him. What he does here is a bit different: he's not so very prominently prescent. I believe that's an important quality for a drummer, Blade has shown before with his own Fellowship, where he leaves a lot of space for composition and other players.

2. The composition of the songs on the album and the way they build up is very good. The only song that's not really working for me is the first one. It's a typical fusion-thang with a big slow theme that get's repeated over and over. The second song (Jazz Crimes) is a six star tune tough. It starts of with a fast and freaky riddle being in contrast with the second, sentimental, part of the theme. After Yahel's solo runs smoothly over into the theme again, Blade and Redman go for it! At the end of the tune the organ has slowly filled up all the space around Redman's saxophone. But where not there yet. Between fast breaks there's some space for a short drum-thing and than the theme starts over again. It get's a little freaky and...it stops.
The third song is a ballad that evolves into something different than a ballad. The organ's from outher space here and Redman does some good things on his saxophone. At the end there's not so much left of the ballad.
Omou is song number four and it's an intelligent little thing that start of with sax and organ but suddenly Blade rolls a very nice beat under it. I don't know why, but this tune fascinates me. Maybe because at the end of the short tune it let's itself roll away slowly to dissapear into nothing.
Still Pushin' That Rock has a lot to offer, but what I really like is that after a few minutes the song collapses. In a lot of songs that's not good. Here it's done very good. There's less going on for a little while, but it sounds like there's still something building up.
Can A Good Thing Last Forever starts of with a poppy-piano. Once again there's a big theme and it builds up to climax, but the song is a little boring, but very usefull as a last song for the break for popbands wanting to steal the show with an instrumental.
In the seventh song (Boogielastic) to the duel or team-work (I cannot decide) between the sax and the organ. There's some great breaks in this song.
Unknowing has something special. Maybe the way the drums are recorded and definitly because of the sudden ending.
Number nine hits the T.O.P.-bass. The way it get's silent after the 'storm' is done very good!
The ballad Letting Go builds up very very very subtlely and slowly builds up and stops exactly at the climax.
At the end of the album there's a little freeness running into somewhat of a popsong that nicely ripples away.

Well, in conclusion: I would agree with a more critical review maybe. I know that sometimes there's too much theme and repeating without adding something and there are never real strange things happening but for a slowfunk/jazz-album there's so much going on here that it just wouldn't be fair to give less than 5 stars.

After purchasing the YaYa3 album I had expected more of the same, soft but swinging grooves. Boy was I wrong. Joshua has taken these three incredible players and created a totally new sound. In fact, I saw him at Virgin Records in Boston the day of the cd release. The band performed for an hour and came back to Boston again three weeks later (which I also saw). The cd is only slightly indicative the power of the live shows. You have to see this band really appreciate the music he's creating. Brian Blade is one of the greatest drummers resources we have as he can move from pure jazz settings to funk to pop. Sam Yahel can lay a bass groove down and dance around it while laying a foundation for the other two to bounce off of. Buy the cd and see the band. And tap your feet!

When, I first heard about this trio, with their yaya3 record, I was excited to hear that a new one was coming out very soon. I got the album the day before I was planning on seeing the trio perform live in Denver, CO at the Gothic. I could not stop listening to this CD. This CD, does need a live performance for you to understand some of the tunes. Some of the synthesizer solos do really stretch the boundaries. Most of the songs are great groove-oriented tunes with complicated bass lines played perfectly by Mr. Yahel. All three of these guys play with so much intensity that you just have to get out of your seat and dance. The ballads are great slow-burners that really show Joshua's ability to weave the soprano sax into a rhodes driven groove. The highlight track is Jazz Crimes, where Yahel, and Brian Blade show you that they can handle anything, anywhere. They couldn't have picked a better closer in the two tracks that contain "The Birthday Song." All in all, Joshua's playing really stretches out on this album.

The first thing I'd like to say is that I've been a Joshua Redman fan from the get go. I have most of his CDs and have even managed to catch him in concert a few times. To me, he's one of the most gifted sax players we have out there at the minute.

The second thing I'd like to say is that while I'm no fan of so-called "smooth jazz", I do like my jazz a little funky every now and then. As someone who likes to groove and nod his head just as much as he likes to be provoked into thought by the music he listens to, a little funk and a little soul in jazz can be priceless when it's found - provided it's done well.

Up until now, Redman has been a musician I would've put in the thought provoking category. In fact when I heard "Elastic" in my local record store, at first I thought the store assistant had made a mistake when he told me who it was. This CD is the answer to a prayer I've been saying for a long, long time. Joshua has finally shown us he's got soul!

It's difficult to pick out a favourite tune as they're all equally able to mesmerize and excite at the same time. From the opener, "Molten Soul" (which gets me off my feet every time I hear it - except when I'm listening to it in the car, of course), through to the haunting (and much too short, in my opinion) "Unknowing" to the penultimate track "Letting Go", which kind of speaks for itself, this CD is Redman's best yet, as far as I'm concerned. It also has to be one of the best jazz CDs out there at the moment. The final song, "The Birthday Song" ensures you're left on a positive note and speaking personally, it's all I can do every time, to stop myself going back and playing the damn thing all over again. The combination of Redman on various saxes, Sam Yahel on keyboards and Brian Blade on drums is pure magic.

Miss this one at your peril.

I have followed Joshua Redman since 1995. I continue to be amazed at his sponteniety and creativity. On this album, Redman stretches in a new and different direction and the results are spectacular. It is easily one of the top five Jazz albums this year.

About a week ago, I had a chance to hear him perform music from the album live in Hollywood. Maybe the only thing better then listening to the album at home is listening to it live. Don't miss him if he comes to your town.

Josh Redman has made several great albums and a handful of good albums in the course of his 10 year career. Out of the great ones, I believe that Elastic will get more spins than any other. It is simple music, but not played simply. Each song features interesting melodies with enough twists to grab even the most die hard jazz fan. Redman plays well throughout and adds effects to his horn much like Eddie Harris. In some ways, this adds significant punch and meat to his playing, but for a player with such a recognizable tone, it is a little bit of a turn-off. Sam Yahel is not a favorite of mine, but he plays well. There is a darkness to his playing that keeps the tunes from sounding to 'happy' and he creates a nice backdrop for Redman and Blade to rip. Brian Blade is incredible throughout, but especially on the last minute of Jazz Crimes. He destroys his kit. I wouldn't have minded if the song continued on for three days just so I could hear him play like that!!!!

Be warned, if jazz died for you in 1967, you might be a little underwhelmed. If you have an open mind, give the disc a few spins and forget about you troubles for a second.

When I first listened to this record, I liked it right away, it didn't grown on me, I didn't have a sudden realization later on, I liked it from the start. The music on this record is just something else all together. It's Jazz, it's funk, it's hip-hop, It's MUSIC. And, it's not the slightest bit "smooth". As far as the few overdubbings, they sound good, and he did them only on the album, not in live performances. Sonny Rollins even did some overdubbing on "Horn Culture". This album is a big step forward in music, not just jazz. If you don't like it, I advise you to open your square little mind and listen to it again.

This disc may put off purists, as it features Sam Yahel's organ instead of piano and bass, and Joshua's tone does sound electronically altered at times. The best moments approximate a Shorter/Zawinul Weather Report groove. The mode is progressive soul-jazz rather than the acoustic post-bop that Redman concentrated on previously. He colors more inside the lines here, and that's o.k. However, be warned that the brief penultimate track features some sci-fi sound-effects riffing that will distinguish it from the latest Boney James release, even though it segues into a relaxed groove that wouldn't be terribly out of place on smooth jazz radio.

Ironically, I saw him in 2000 at the Wilmington Jazz Festival in Delaware, and remarked to a friend that I remembered reading a review that claimed, as he's the son of a great tenor saxophonist, Dewey Redman, Joshua had been somewhat over-hyped when he first appeared on the jazz scene. Apparently I misremembered Scott Yanow's review that said he initially appeared to be over-hyped, but his is one of the rare cases where the hype is actually justified. Unfortunately, the free outdoor concert was sparsely attended on a weeknight, and my voice might have carried further than I realized. A scowl came across Joshua's face, and he dived into a mesmerizing virtuoso saxophone solo that displayed every advanced technique in his repertoire, lasting almost ten minutes. After that, I remarked to my friend how challenging it is to maintain interest in an unaccompanied solo for that length of time. Apologies to Joshua for any offense, but I'm glad if my comments motivated him to play his best and grace that venue with an outstanding performance. Wail on, brother!