Joshua Redman’s got the world swaying to his saxophone. The New York Times called Redman one of the most visible jazz musicians today. He’s a natural improviser, a strong band leader, and, at age 36, an articulate spokesman for jazz. He’s fusing jazz and funk, stepping over musical boundaries to chart his own path, while still paying homage to his idols, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins.

He grew up in San Francisco, son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and a Russian-Jewish dancer. He graduated at the top of his high school class and summa cum laude from Harvard. He was accepted to Yale Law School but took some time off in Brooklyn, New York where he grew serious about jazz. By the late 90s, Redman established himself as a sophisticated experimenter, exploring funk, soul, hip-hop, and pop music.

Hear a conversation with saxophonist Joshua Redman about changing the shape of jazz music today.

Guests:

Joshua Redman, saxophonist, composer and bandleader. His new CDs are “Momentum” and the “SF Jazz Collective.”