Feb 3, 2025 10:49 PM
The Essence of Emily
In the April 1982 issue of People magazine, under the heading “Lookout: A Guide To The Up and Coming,” jazz…
Brad Mehldau (left) and Joshua Redman will release Nearness, their first album as a duo on Sept. 9.
(Photo: Courtesy of Nonesuch Records)On Sept. 9, saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau will release Nearness, a selection of duets recorded live during their recent European tour. The album, available on Nonesuch, will be the first duo recording by the two musicians, who collaborated together in ensembles throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, including on Redman’s 1994 album, Moodswing (Waner Bros.), and Mehldau’s 2010 disc, Highway Rider (Nonesuch).
Redman and Mehldau had reunited earlier in the decade to play on each other’s records. “It’s like one of those friendships where you don’t see someone for a long stretch and then you fall right back where you left off,” Mehldau said.
Despite several years of not collaborating frequently, each artist stayed busy with various projects, including some noteworthy albums for Nonesuch. Redman has recorded several albums on the label as both a leader and sideman. The most recent of which is 2015’s The Bad Plus Joshua Redman, his highly acclaimed quartet album with members of The Bad Plus.
Mehldau has appeared on numerous Nonesuch releases, in many different groups and collaborations, including Mehliana: Taming The Dragon (a collaboration between Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana) and the recently released Blues And Ballads, recorded with his trio (bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard).
Redman and Mehldau will tour together during late September and early October, with shows planned for New York City, California and the Midwest. The album is available for pre-order now at iTunes and nonesuch.com.
“She said, ‘A lot of people are going to try and stop you,’” Sheryl Bailey recalls of the advice she received from jazz guitarist Emily Remler (1957–’90). “‘They’re going to say you slept with somebody, you’re a dyke, you’re this and that and the other. Don’t listen to them, and just keep playing.’”
Feb 3, 2025 10:49 PM
In the April 1982 issue of People magazine, under the heading “Lookout: A Guide To The Up and Coming,” jazz…
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