2016 · Album
Nearness
Recorded Live, Europe, 2011 · Nonesuch · Released: September 9, 2016 · Grammy Nomination: Best Jazz Instrumental Album (2016)
Two Voices in Conversation
Redman and Mehldau trade ideas across six European concert recordings, intimate and unguarded.
Nearness documents something you don't often get on record: the real-time conversation between Joshua Redman on saxophone and Brad Mehldau on piano, stripped down to just the two of them. These six pieces come from European concerts in 2011, and what matters is how immediate they feel—no overdubs, no safety net, just two musicians listening hard and responding. Redman's tone is warm and melodic; Mehldau plays with the kind of harmonic sophistication that doesn't announce itself. The interplay works because neither player is trying to dominate. When Redman states a theme, Mehldau doesn't just accompany—he comments, shifts the harmonic ground, asks questions back.
This sits in an interesting spot in Redman's catalog. He's a prolific writer spanning trio dates, group sessions, and various collaborations, but Nearness isn't his defining statement. It's solidly crafted and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, which tells you the record landed well with listeners and voters alike. The album also produced two singles, suggesting the duet format had enough appeal to connect beyond the jazz core audience. If you know Redman's work already, this is worth seeking out—it shows a different side of how he thinks about melody and structure when the rhythmic foundation falls away.
Start with Nearness if you want to hear what happens when two accomplished improvisers really listen to each other, but don't make it your entry point to Redman if you're new to him. You'll get more from his ensemble records first. What makes this worthwhile is its specific quality: two voices, no distraction, recorded live where mistakes and brilliant moments have equal weight. It's the kind of album that rewards repeated listening because you catch something different each time—a shift in Mehldau's voicing, a slight bend in Redman's phrasing—that changes the whole exchange.
Who's playing
Brad Mehldaupiano
Joshua Redmansaxophone
Where next?
More by Joshua Redman
All 15 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
