Dewey Redman

One of the great avant-garde tenors, Dewey Redman has never received anywhere near the acclaim that his son <a href="spotify:artist:3uaHfXYx9Fh4HjqMbrWn5S">Joshua Redman</a> gained in the 1990s, but ironically Dewey is much more of an innovative player. He began on clarinet when he was 13 and played in his high school marching band, a group that also included <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette Coleman</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7eSGzmEHiK7Ok2xIBbVYV0">Charles Moffett</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4RuQdmPbC0hK099wjXGeOf">Prince Lasha</a>. Redman was a public school teacher during 1956-1959 but, after getting his master's degree in education from North Texas State, he moved to San Francisco where he freelanced as a musician for seven years; <a href="spotify:artist:3JLUCojZaHrX2LaUkSj7Ud">Pharoah Sanders</a> was among his sidemen. All of this was a prelude to his impressive association with <a href="spotify:artist:0mdP718PnXK4CShr4xDoyl">the Ornette Coleman Quartet</a> (1967-1974), during which Redman's tenor playing was a perfect match for <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette</a>'s alto. Redman could play as free as the leader but his appealing tone made the music seem a little more accessible. He also worked with <a href="spotify:artist:5Pqc0ZFA20Y9zGJZ3ojUin">Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra</a> and was an important part of <a href="spotify:artist:0F3Aew9DSd6fb6192K1K0Y">Keith Jarrett</a>'s greatest group, his quintet of the mid-'70s. Redman guested on <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Pat Metheny</a>'s notable 80/81 album and teamed up with <a href="spotify:artist:3uPWecBPNXAChysw1uOJwI">Don Cherry</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5Pqc0ZFA20Y9zGJZ3ojUin">Charlie Haden</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6OyNnPUKtNrjm5QQkK0Px9">Ed Blackwell</a> in the <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette Coleman</a> reunion band called Old and New Dreams. Despite all of this activity and plenty of recordings (including occasional ones as a leader), Dewey Redman has yet to be fully recognized for his innovative talents. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi