You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians - Tune Analysis - Joshua Redman "St. Thomas" - #43

Episode Date: October 24, 2018

Today, Peter and Adam break down Joshua Redman's live recording of "St. Thomas". See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What? Bittleap. Shway, b'a-la-la-b-da-b-da-b-da. I'm Adam Manus. And I'm Peter Martin. And you're listening to the You'll Hear podcast. Daily Jazz Advice, coming at you. Now, what were those honks and squeaks we were just listening to?

Honks and squeaks? Wow. In a tasty, fun way. Right. Tasty fun, funky ways south of the border. Well, Caribbean, kind of southeast of the border out of the ocean. That was the supple tones of Joshua Redmond. Shway as he's known to his friends.

Shway. Shway, yeah. A little insider thing there. I did not know that. And that's from the Spirit of the moment. Spirit of the moment. That's what I thought. You're on this record. No, I was thinking freedom of the grooves. Spirit of the moment, Spirit of the moment, live at the Village Vanguard. This is you on piano, Joshua Redmond on tenor saxophone, Chris Thomas on the bass and Brian Blade on the drums. Is that right? Yeah, that'd be the Nora Jones rhythms.

The current Nora Jones rhythm section, as we were talking about the other day. Well, so we're going to do our tune analysis Wednesday. We're going to do maybe more than just one solo. But everybody loves your solo on this, and I thought it would be fun. This wasn't, I just wanted to put it out there. Peter wasn't like, hey, yo, we got to do this recording of my solo. I was like, yeah, everybody emails me and like, hey, what about Peter's solo? So what I said was I was like, yo, that'll be fun.

I have never listened to that solo. So that'll be interesting. Well, this is a legendary solo of yours, man. Really? We talked about this one, yeah. Let's get into it a little bit here. This is St. Thomas from the live... I have the Village Manor.

Now, Josh does this full... We're like two minutes into the... I skipped ahead. I love the sound on this record. I forgot about that. The Vanguard live records are so good. Man, but some people try to... Like, this is so dry.

Yeah. This is exactly what it sounds like in there. I know. It's awesome. It's like you're sitting in the third row. Yeah, but you could almost be like in a practice room with like perfect sound baffling, you know. Yeah, man.

But that's... That's the way it sounds. There's so many Joshua Redmond isms. Yeah. In this intro, the high, low. Right. All right, so you know, some, we can get a little insightful here. You're literally sitting at the piano while he's doing this.

What do you thinking? I think I was still back in the kitchen. I don't think we'd even come out yet. Because we know he likes to play a long time. You get the Sazirac at the bar? This is actually pre-my discovery of Sazirac. Oh. Yeah.

So what are you listening for as a pianist? You want to tell our listeners what, when someone's taking an extended intro or segue or cadenza, what are you trying to hear? You know, for me, especially on this kind of thing, I'm really just trying to feel what the vibe is. So that when we come in, and, you know, to tell you the truth, at this point, because I know it's going to go on a while, it's, I'm not even worried about that. So I'm really just like listening, almost like you're sitting in the front row at the vanguard, you know, because that's how I can best get the vibe.

Like, I'm not worried. I mean, obviously the tune is easy. simple, but to be able to come in, like, he plays with so much energy. It's so amazing what he can do on a saxophone for, I mean, like, for the piano to do an intro, we can do a lot. It's a single line instrument. You know, he's got like these sort of bass things going, you know, boom, you know, kind of going through the harmony. But the rhythmic thing is happening. So, like, we're sort of listening to catch the vibes.

So when we come in, we either match the energy or contrast, kind of whatever needs to be happened at that moment, you know. And so what I always do is, like, I really do. just relax and enjoy it. Nice. Because otherwise, I'm starting to think too much. Yeah. You know, and you don't need to. Because the intro is its own thing.

The tunes, it's all thing. We've got to make that transition. And if we've really listened to what's happened, we'll play the right thing after that, I believe. So you're saying number one? Listen. Think something's happening. Yeah.

Okay, so there's a good. Watch you pause for just a second. I'll just give everybody one little pro tip, and I'm glad I did this right. I was wondering. I was like, ugh. I mean, there's a lot. I was young, man.

but so when and none of this was ever planned like I mean we played this tune before although this was recorded right at the beginning of this band this was like the second month of the band so we actually hadn't played that much but the thing about it is is as a pianist like you that's the whole thing of listening

in what's happening before you know the rhythm section is going to come in that he's going to do something but it's different every time but this is a time actually for the pianist to lay back and I'm glad I was like I hope I don't play something before the one because Brian on the drums came in with like that really cool film. Yeah. And so it would have been really easy for, and like a lot of pianists kind of jump in there because we can.

That could have been. And it could have been okay. Maybe we get lucky. But that's kind of sort of knowing the other players, listening. And just because we're the piano, look, we're going to have plenty of time to play. Yeah. Relax. And then, you know, you always, you don't want to be afraid that, oh, there's going to be just space. That space always works. Like once the grooves happened. So like if Brian hadn't play anything and I hadn't, it still would have been cool. Don't panic. Don't panic. Yeah. But you kind of, you kind of. have some situational awareness, you know. I love that. That's great. Don't overplay. No. Number two. Okay.

So, just because I'll probably forget this, and it'll be interesting to see if I actually continue this. So, you know, but do, but do, do do do do do do do de do de do de, do de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de. Oh.

E. I think he ended on that D flat. Yeah. So now this is a cool thing if you can take advantage. And I started to. I have no idea if I'm going to continue to. Like, you're kind of, there's a little bit of a implication of modulating up. Of course, we're not going to actually modulate up.

But I think for the next soloist, and I think I solo next, I hope so. You are, yeah, yeah, yeah. That, like, I almost feel an obligation to work that into my solo some. So something kind of playing around with that, because that's going to be the connection between what happened. Because he basically just played a solo by himself, played the melody real quick, and then gets out and, like, the energy's high. So there's a couple things. I got to start my solo out at that energy level. I can't be like, hey, I've been thinking all day how I want a solo.

Why are you guys missing up my solo, man? Right, right. You need to fit in with what's happening. So you really cannot have any idea about what, even if you think, oh, it's one more measure, now I'm ready to go. Then he gets that, so we got to work that in. Now that's where we are. So it's interesting to see if I do.

Let's back that up. Let's back that up and see we can hear that. Yeah. And this is as late as it gets. Yeah, the very last eighth note before you come in. Ooh. Yeah, you did hit that. Yeah, I'll play in a little bit.

There it is again. Thank God. There it is again. Yeah, I mean, I think. I love how the energy is just like super high throughout this whole thing, but you're not overplaying still. I'm going to start at 11 and I'm going to go to 16. Well, this, I mean, this is a challenge.

I still struggle with this. Actually, that's why I was trying to remember, like, if I can remember anything about my mentality and I can't. But even now, you know, when you are in a situation when you need to start your solo at an 11, Yeah. You don't have a lot of options. You kind of got to just burn.

And so I think what I did, and I don't know, you know, if it totally works, but you almost start soloing in a way that you're not building things up as quickly thematically as you normally would, just because of the energy level. It's not even that those have to match perfectly. Yeah. But you're kind of at a place. So you're thinking even more in terms of the flow of the whole tune as opposed to,

and I don't remember what comes later or what we normally did, but hopefully it fits with that too. but it's different than like somebody that builds up a big like he built up a solo and then kind of went down and then built it up and bam and then we're there and then like one thing i know i was trying to do just interact because i was thinking like this is what i would be doing now if i played like brian blade is doing a lot of um staggered stuff between the symbol and the snare drum sometimes one of the others sometimes back yeah yeah yeah like on the rhythm and like the harmony is so like a real rhythm uh rhythmic play and like chris is laying things down great and so you know i was really trying to get in there with that. And so that kind of makes it more interactive than you normally would be. And that becomes sort of the thematic thing as opposed to like building something up. Like you're starting here and then you're playing off of that, you know, that back and forth. Yeah, I was going to say you're doing that interaction with Brian Blade. That's exactly what I would have done starting at 11 is like you go in there with the drummer because they're

going to be able to keep you up without you having to be like all the whole time. You can get rhythmic with them. And this is, I think, great tip for anybody who, maybe overplays when it gets too intense. Right. You don't have to play super loud or super burning the whole time. Like, lean on the drummer. They want to play. Ride the wave, baby.

Ride the wave. They want to bash those drums as hard as they can. Right, that's right. And so be with them and they'll start lifting everything up. Yeah, and certainly in the vanguard, like where you can hear, but it's small and closed. Like you really, on a bigger stage or a bigger thing, it's harder to control that. I mean, to control that kind of interaction, but when you're in there, you can really ride that wave. Oh, man.

Yeah, that must be such a great feeling in that club to, like, have them. It's all rhythmic stuff. Yeah, I never really knew what to play over this tune. This tune is hard. It is. I never know what to. I mean, that was part of the reason I was just sort of going for bro, because I'm like, I don't know what, like that.

It's a little bit covering up like a lack of, I understand the tune, but I just don't really know what to do with it. The tune is hard to find, like, deep melodic content on. Yeah. Because it always has, it's a tune of cadences. It's just a cadence after a cadence. You're like, we're just all... It's like forced resolution.

Yeah, forced every two bars. Every two bars, we're just going to resolve, I guess. And then the bridge just circles right back to the top of the tune. The bridge is one long cadence. Oh, dang. Yeah, you get... Oh, we got bored. We're like, we're back on the mainland!

This is a little more at our wheelhouse. I believe that's Thomas. Chris Thomas. I think that's Josh. Is that Josh? I think so. Force block cordage. Okay.

Stop right there. Sorry. I don't mean to mess up the vibe. But this is one thing that made me of interest. I've always enjoyed doing this, but you have to be careful because. So when we came to that, it was definitely like a buildup.

Like, I don't like always resolving things right, the whole rhythm section together. Yeah. You know, but it's such a risk because, I mean, I even remember,

like fleeting thoughts still go through my mind. Like, is everyone going to think I'm lost? But like, in a certain point, you get a confidence. Like, I'll just,

I'll hear resolutions like after the beat and stuff. Totally. And I think that they can still work when that underlying grew. So it's like Blade, and then I did it like a beat later. Because I just, to me it sounds corny.

I mean, sometimes it works. Yeah. And we're always listening. I guess Oscar Peterson's corny. That's cool. Did Oscar ever get a chance to check this recording up?

No, but I hear exactly what you're saying, man. And that sounds super hip. I'll back it up a little bit to hear Blade pop on the one there and then you're on the two. And Blade is notorious.

I mean, a lot of that I learned from him. He'll do that sometimes. He will do that all the time. And we will play, but also like what leading, leading up to the, this even when we were back in the groove with that staggering between the symbol and then the

rhythm of stuff I was doing staggering back and forth. I think it kind of lends it, you know, stylistically, it makes sense to where we are. I've heard Blade do something like, yunt, yon, yon, yon, yon, yon, y'at, yon, yeah, yeah, but yeah, yeah. Yeah, like all right, yon, like, spat back, da, yeah, da, p. She's like the next bar. That's great. All right, I backed it up. Okay, that's Oscar Peterson right then. That's straight stolen. Oh, you think so? Yeah. That's copyrighted. infringement, man. We're going to be double-covered.

I think I've stole this. I'll cop up to that. Because I think it helps continue things, too. Like, if we were going to end there, maybe you want to hit it all together. But it's nice because it's almost like I just sort of, you know, was continuing. It was the start of the next phrase.

Which doesn't, it ends. He's got that. And then we start again. Man, this was so much fun to hear you talk about it. I mean, this is a solo that I've listened to since I was in high school and I'm sure our listeners got a lot out of this we might do this again I might make you do this I know it's not like your most fun thing to do 24 years I was 24 years old to listen to you learn a lot well you know it's so funny you are so much more sophisticated and there

are you it's still killing but I can hear a difference in you know what you were sort of dragging on then that you've since fixed it's funny for me well let's talk a little negatives there a little overcomping the left hand I'm hearing that's a that's a young man's thing right That's the young man's game. For sure. Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, I mean, other than that, it was pretty sick. So, yeah, we'll do this again.

I'll make Peter do it again. It's fun. Cool. And until next. I'm not going out on you, too. I would not. I would not do that. Yeah, we'll do it.

Yeah, just listen to all the technical deficiencies in the guys. Come on, man. Self-deprecating. That's true. All right. All right. Until next time. You'll hear it.