Sun on Sand

by Joshua Redman, Brooklyn Rider

Overview

A collaboration between saxophonist Joshua Redman, forward-thinking chamber string ensemble Brooklyn Rider, and composer Patrick Zimmerli, 2019's Sun on Sand is a kinetic, richly attenuated album that straddles the line between jazz and modern classical. The album is comprised of eight compositions culled from a suite by Zimmerli which he and Redman originally premiered in London in 2014. Zimmerli, a jazz-trained saxophonist himself who has garnered acclaim for his hybrid orchestrations, previously supplied orchestral arrangements for Redman on his 2013 album Walking Shadows, and for Brooklyn Rider on their similar collaboration with vocalist Anne Sofie von Otter, 2016's So Many Things. He's also worked on projects with luminaries like the Bad Plus, Brad Mehldau, Ben Monder, and others. Consequently, as a composer, he brings a wide-ranging ear to Sun on Sand, ably straddling the line between exploratory modern creative jazz and more highly structured classical soundscapes. Also joining Redman are his equally talented rhythm section bandmates bassist Scott Colley and drummer Satoshi Takeishi; the latter of whom is also a longtime Zimmerli associate going back to the '90s. The opening "Flash" is a brisk, spiraling piece with Redman playing a serpentine melody against an equally gyroscopic string section, bringing to mind a genre-bending mix of Sonny Rollins-meets-Aaron Copland-meets-Steve Reich. The rest of the album is just as engaging, as Redman wails through falling shards of sharp orchestral glass on "Dark White," glides bird-like through Brooklyn Rider's falling spring rain on "Soft Focus," and arises with mournful lyricism through the ensemble's deeply colored orchestral drones on "Starbursts and Haloes." The most impressive aspect of Sun on Sand is how balanced the collaboration feels. Redman has the facility and sound to carry the music, but Brooklyn Rider offer a deeply textured counterpoint, while Zimmerli's expansive voice remains ever present. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	10/04/2019
Label:	Nonesuch
UPC:	0075597946383

Tracks

1. Flash
2. Between Dog and Wolf
3. Sun on Sand
4. Dark White
5. Soft Focus
6. Through Mist
7. Starbursts and Haloes
8. Between Dog and Wolf: Reprise

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joshua Redman   Primary Artist,Sax (Tenor)
Brooklyn Rider   Primary Artist,String Quartet
Satoshi Takeishi   Drums,Featured Artist
Scott Colley   Bass,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Patrick Zimmerli   Producer,Arranger,Composer
Tom Lazarus   Mixing,Engineer
David Jacobs   Photography
Robert C. Ludwig   Mastering
Christine Im   Design,Cover Design
Danielle Rambert   Cover Design
A Rey   Cover Photo