Compass (Joshua Redman album)
| Compass | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Joshua Redman Trio | ||||
| Released | January 13, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | March 24–26, 2008 | |||
| Studio | Avatar, New York City | |||
| Genre | Post-bop | |||
| Length | 1:12:26 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch Records 7559-79923-0 | |||
| Producer | Joshua Redman, James Farber | |||
| Joshua Redman chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| The Buffalo News | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[6] |
| Time Out Dubai | 5/7[7] |
| Tom Hull | B+[8] |
Compass is a studio album by American jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman.[9] It was released on January 13, 2009 via Nonesuch Records label to a critical success, scoring 83% on Metacritic.
Reception[edit]
Michael Kabran of PopMatters stated "After Back East, it seemed a certainty that Redman would return to his more traditional jazz and fusion roots, that he had gotten experimentation out of his system. He proved this critic wrong by forging ahead, for the most part successfully, into less-traveled terrain (at least on the mixing board). Now, it's anyone's guess, whether you're a trained expert or a musical novice, as to where Redman's compass will take him next. And perhaps that's Compass's most emphatic point of all."
Thom Jurek of Allmusic wrote "Joshua Redman's 2007 album Back East rightfully drew critical comparisons to Sonny Rollins' legendary trio date Way Out West, given everything from the mirror image implication in the title to the manner in which Redman offered the material on the set. The presence of Rollins looms large over Compass as well... on Compass, Redman has finally learned the greatest trick from his mentor -- to walk out on the wire with his horn more, trust the fluid abilities of his incredible rhythm section(s), and let his inner sense of song and freedom take precedence over his already well-established sense of discipline."
Daryl Easlee of BBC added "Bleak, emotional and full of gravity, Compass is the sort of serious-minded album that gives jazz in 2009 a very good name".[10]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Uncharted" | Larry Grenadier, Gregory Hutchinson, Joshua Redman, Reuben Rogers | 2:05 |
| 2. | "Faraway" | Redman | 6:43 |
| 3. | "Identity Thief" | Redman | 6:39 |
| 4. | "Just Like You" | Redman | 7:30 |
| 5. | "Hutchhiker's Guide" | Redman | 5:47 |
| 6. | "Ghost" | Redman | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Insomnomaniac" | Redman | 8:39 |
| 8. | "Moonlight" | Ludwig van Beethoven | 5:03 |
| 9. | "Un Peu Fou" | Redman | 5:05 |
| 10. | "March" | Larry Grenadier | 3:22 |
| 11. | "Round Reuben" | Redman | 6:26 |
| 12. | "Little Ditty" | Redman | 8:30 |
| 13. | "Through the Valley" | Brian Blade | 2:59 |
| Total length: | 1:12:26 | ||
Personnel[edit]
Musicians
- Joshua Redman – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Larry Grenadier – bass
- Reuben Rogers – bass
- Brian Blade – drums
- Gregory Hutchinson – drums
Production
- Joshua Redman – producer
- James Farber – producer, engineer (recording, mixing)
- Justin Gerrish – assistant engineer (recording)
- Rick Kwan – assistant engineer (mixing)
- Greg Calbi – engineer (mastering)
- Karina Benznicki – production supervisor
- Eli Cane – production coordination
- John Gall – design
- Ronen Givony – editorial coordinator
- Michael Wilson – photography
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[11] | 158[12] |
| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[13] | 4[14] |
References[edit]
- ^ "Compass". Metacritic. metacritic.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Joshua Redman: Compass". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ Simon, Jeff (January 23, 2009). "Discs". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ WILLIAMS, K. LEANDER (January 21, 2009). "Compass". Entertainment Weekly. ew.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Fordham, John (9 January 2009). "Joshua Redman: Compass". The Guardian. theguardian.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ Kabran, Michael (2 February 2009). "Joshua Redman: Compass". PopMatters. popmatters.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ Wilkinson, James (2 February 2009). "Music reviews". Time Out Dubai. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Joshua Redman". Tom Hull. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- ^ "Joshua Redman - Compass". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ Easlee, Daryl (2009). "Joshua Redman Compass Review". BBC. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Joshua Redman – Compass". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "Joshua Redman - Compass". lescharts.com. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "Josha Redman Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "Joshua Redman". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
