- Uncharted
- Faraway
- Identity Thief
- Just Like You
- Hutchhiker’s Guide
- Ghost
- Insomnomaniac
- Moonlight
- Un Peu Fou
- March
- Round Reuben
- Little Ditty
- Through the Valley
- Joshua Redman – Tenor and Soprano Saxophones
- Reuben Rogers – Bass
- Larry Grenadier – Bass
- Brian Blade – Drums
- Gregory Hutchinson – Drums
My score: ★★★★1/2
"Common sense was telling me to stay away, that it had the makings of a big mess. All that bass and drums could end up sounding muddy, clumsy, directionless, unfocused. But my imagination kept leading me back to this idea, and, at a certain point, I decided it was worth a try". - Joshua Redman
In 2007's "Back East", Joshua Redman experimented with the Bass, Drum and Saxophone trio format which makes up this fantastic album.
Drawing heavy inspiration from Sonny Rollin's "Way Out West", Joshua throws conventionality to the wind and relies solely on his musical instincts. His "Compass".
The results? A haunting Post-bop journey of throbbing melodies. Embracing a spontaneous, experimental nature which is at the very heart of Jazz; this album is not for the fainthearted.
Joshua Redman's remarkable skill , musicianship and class shine through every track. There is an overarching feeling of quality and perfection which one would not expect less of from such a master.
Rogers, Grenadier, Blade and Hutchinson all do equally as well playing back and forth and around Joshua's ideas, adding color and substance to the already deep, melodic expressions.
The moods vary from track to track, but seem to agree universally about the mystery and uncertainty of the future of Jazz and humanity itself.
Overall, this is an amazing album, one which ranks high in my personal collection. I recommend it to anyone who has been around the Jazz scene for awhile, or anyone interested in Bebop and experimental flavors in music.
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