Joshua Redman
A virtuosic saxophonist who emerged as a defining voice in modern jazz, bridging its complex traditions with accessible melodic invention.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American jazz saxophonist and composer·Birthday: February 1·Generation X
Biography
Joshua Redman arrived not with a whisper, but with a resonant chord that shook the jazz world in the early 1990s. The son of saxophonist Dewey Redman, he seemed destined for a different path, graduating from Harvard and being accepted to Yale Law School. He deferred, moved to New York for what he thought would be a year of music, and promptly won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. There was no turning back. Redman's sound—a warm, robust tenor tone infused with intellectual curiosity and rhythmic vitality—made him an instant leader. He avoided mere retrospection, instead crafting a contemporary language that honored swing, explored funk, and embraced lyrical balladry. As a bandleader, composer, and collaborator, he has maintained a relentless creative output, proving that jazz could be both intellectually rigorous and viscerally exciting for a new generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Joshua was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Joshua Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Joshua's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.
- Has released over 20 albums as a leader, with his self-titled 1993 debut topping the Billboard jazz charts.
- Formed and led the influential acoustic quartet with Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade in the 1990s.
- Served as the Artistic Director for the SFJAZZ Spring Season in San Francisco from 2000 to 2018.
- Received multiple Grammy Award nominations for albums like 'MoodSwing' and 'Beyond'.
Did You Know?
He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in Social Studies.
He was accepted to Yale Law School but turned it down to pursue music.
He is an avid rock climber and has said the focus required for the sport parallels that of musical improvisation.
His middle name is "Blue," a nod to his father's musical partner, pianist "Blue" Gene Tyranny.
“"For me, the beauty of jazz is that it's an individual expression, but it's also a conversation."”
