by Steph Cosme
Words Fall Short, the latest offering from saxophonist-composer Joshua Redman, finds expression in the mysteries of music. Joined by a new generation of players of Paul Cornish on piano, Philip Norris on bass, and Nazir Ebo on drums, Redman convenes a quartet whose cohesion is built on present listening. Together, they craft a sound across eight original compositions by Redman. Redman also invites select voices with saxophonist Melissa Aldana, trumpeter Skylar Tang, and vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa to share in the conversation. Born of pandemic stillness and shaped by the quiet resilience of live performance, Words Fall Short speaks through the music.
“A Message to Unsend” opens with a melody that unfolds, and there is no hurry here, as each part moves the music with forward motion. Redman’s tone on the saxophone is full and buzzing. The piece, like its title, suggests a thing spoken too late or too soon. Cornish’s piano solo is melodic. Redman’s soloing is as expressive as ever, with his usual dynamic character and storytelling structures.
“So It Goes,” a title echoing Vonnegut’s recurring phrase of fatalistic acceptance, introduces a spirited dialogue between Redman and guest saxophonist Aldana. Their interplay is two voices circling the same emotional terrain with different inflections. The rhythm section provides sympathetic propulsion as the improvisations from the two horns form declarative statements shaped by well-created phrases.
“Borrowed Eyes” leans into a contemporary folk-jazz aesthetic. The gentle tempo and open harmony are perfect for Redman’s expressive style. On “Over the Jelly-Green Sky,” this language continues, but in a medium-up groove setting. Redman plays soprano here with a kind of expressive delicacy, supported by Cornish’s evolving harmonies and the constant shimmer of Ebo’s drums. The groove is intensified when Cornish solos, his textures continue the song’s mood with a touch of the blues.
“Icarus,” named for the mythic figure who flew too close to the sun, brings motion but not heat. The odd-metered groove pulses under a melody that rises deliberately, as if aware of its own limits. Skylar Tang’s trumpet enters to join Redman in a heroic performance. Each soloist, Redman’s and Tang’s, is a gesture of control and musical architecture, followed by the ever-supportive rhythm section. There is flight here, but also a groundedness in the expression of today’s jazz steaming from the post-bop era.
“She Knows” begins with a balladic intro with Redman playing on soprano. The slow, spacious, mood is augmented by the ensemble layering in one at a time. Each phrase is an unfolding, but never establishes a groove. The sense of space remains as the ensemble takes on a chamber jazz sensibility. The solo section leaves the sensitivity of the original theme, and moves into avant-garde territory. The group performance explores contour, phrasing, and breath.
And then, there is “Era’s End.” Gabrielle Cavassa’s voice arrives to codify the album’s aura. Her tone is intimate, her delivery expressive. She performs the lyrics convincingly as she inhabits them. The words themselves, penned by Redman, echo the album’s ethos: a recognition that sight, sound, touch, and language can only approximate what is most deeply felt. The vocal lines curve over the ensemble to form a captivating ending statement.
Across Words Fall Short, Redman’s quartet, Cornish on piano, Norris on bass, and Ebo on drums, serves as a collective conscience. They listen as deeply as they play. They leave space. They do not rush resolution. Their language is one of attention. It is music that sounds of today’s jazz, that honors the jazz heritage. In the end, Words Fall Short is about listening closely. For in what cannot be said, we often find what most needs to be felt. That’s the short of it!
