1998 · Album
Come What May
Recorded 1997 · Warner Bros. Records · Produced by Joshua Redman, Orrin Keepnews
Uncertainty as Strength
Redman plays like he's figuring things out in real time, and that's exactly what makes this work.
Come What May lands at a point in Joshua Redman's career where he's stopped trying to prove anything and just plays. By this stage, he'd already established himself as one of the most inventive tenor saxophonists working, but this album feels less concerned with virtuosity and more interested in conversation. The whole thing has this almost conversational quality—like you're catching musicians in the middle of something honest, where mistakes might happen and that's okay.
What makes this different from his other work is how direct it all feels. There's no polish masking the actual playing. Redman's tenor work here is melodic without being pretty, and he's clearly thinking about space and silence as much as notes. The tunes don't announce themselves; they unfold. Some moments click immediately, others reward the kind of attention that requires multiple listens. It's not a record that announces its greatness on first spin, which probably means it's a real record and not a manufactured one.
This isn't where to start with Redman if you want immediate accessibility—try Moodswing (1994) for something more straightforward. But if you've spent time with his work and want to hear him operating without a net, something genuinely thoughtful and unhurried, Come What May is worth the investment. It's the kind of album that respects your ear enough not to oversell itself, and there's something refreshing about that in jazz right now.
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