Dewey Redman (born Walter Redman in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, May 17, 1931; d. Brooklyn, New York, September 2, 2006) was an American free jazz saxophonist.

Redman played mainly tenor saxophone, though he occasionally doubled on alto saxophone, played the Chinese suona (which he called a musette), and on rare occasions played the clarinet.

His son is saxophonist Joshua Redman.

Biography

Redman attended Prairie View A&M University in Texas. He was best known for his collaborations with saxophonist Ornette Coleman, with whom he performed in his Fort Worth high school marching band. He later performed with Coleman from 1968 to 1972, appearing on the recording New York Is Now, among others. He also played in pianist Keith Jarrett's American Quartet (1971-1976), and was a member of the collective Old And New Dreams. The American Quartet's The Survivor's Suite was voted Jazz Album of the Year by Melody Maker in 1978.

He also performed and recorded as an accompanying musician with jazz musicians who performed in varying styles within the post-1950s jazz idiom, including bassist and fellow Coleman-alum Charlie Haden and guitarist Pat Metheny.

With a dozen recordings under his own name Redman established himself as one of the more prolific tenor players of his generation. Though generally associated with free jazz (with an unusual, distinctive technique of sometimes humming into his saxophone as he played), Redman's melodic tenor playing always conveyed a deep understanding of blues and had strong ties to the post-bop mainstream. Redman's live shows were as likely to feature standards and ballads as the more atonal improvisations for which he was known.

Redman was the subject of an award-winning documentary film Dewey Time (dir. Daniel Berman, 2001).

On February 19 and 21, 2004, Redman played tenor saxophone as a special guest with Jazz at Lincoln Center, in a concert entitled "The Music of Ornette Coleman." ^{audio link}

Redman died of liver failure in Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Lidija Pedevska-Redman, as well as sons Tarik, and Joshua Redman, one of today's leading jazz saxophonists. The father and son recorded two albums together.

Discography

As leader:

• The Ear of the Behearer (Impulse! Records, 1973)
• Coincide (Impulse! Records, 1974)
• Look for the Black Star (Arista Records, 1976)
• The Struggle Continues (ECM, 1982; reed.2007)
• Living on the Edge (Black Saint, 1989)
• In London (Palmetto, 1996)

With Old and New Dreams:

• Old and New Dreams (Black Saint, 1976)
• Old and New Dreams (ECM, 1979)
• Playing (ECM, 1980)
• A Tribute to Blackwell (Black Saint, 1987)

Collaborations:

• Red and Black in Willisau (Black Saint, 1980) with Ed Blackwell
• Walls-Bridges (Black Saint, 1992) with Ed Blackwell and Cameron Brown
• Momentum Space (Verve, 1998) with Cecil Taylor and Elvin Jones

As sideman:

• Cameron Brown: Here and How! (OmniTone, 1997)
• Ornette Coleman: New York Is Now (Blue Note, 1968)
• Ornette Coleman: Friends and Neighbors: Live at Prince Street (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
• Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra: Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse!, 1970)
• Keith Jarrett: Expectations (Columbia, 1972)
• Keith Jarrett: Fort Yawuh (Impulse!, 1973)
• Keith Jarrett: Treasure Island (Impulse!, 1974)
• Keith Jarrett: Death and the Flower (Impulse!, 1974)
• Keith Jarrett: Backhand (Impulse!, 1974)
• Keith Jarrett: The Survivors' Suite (ECM, 1976)
• Keith Jarrett: Bop-Be (Impulse!, 1977)
• Pat Metheny: 80/81 (ECM, 1980)
• Paul Motian: Trioism (JMT, 1993)
• Randy Weston: The Spirits of Our Ancestors (Antilles, 1991)
• Jon Ballantyne: 4tets+deweyredman ROUND AGAIN'' (r.a.w 2000)

External links

• "Dewey Redman: The Sound of a Giant", from All About Jazz site
• "Dewey Redman: an Enduring Original, 1931-2006", obituary in Jazz Police magazine, by Andrea Carter.
• The Bad Plus obituary
• Dewey Redman obituary from All About Jazz
• , obituary in The New York Times by Ben Ratliff.
• New England Jazz History Database - Audio Interviews
• Dewey Redman performance with Jazz at Lincoln Center

References