Compass (Joshua Redman album)

Last updated

Compass
Joshua Redman - Compass.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 13, 2009
RecordedMarch 24–26, 2008
Studio Avatar, New York City
Genre Post-bop
Length1:12:26
Label Nonesuch Records 7559-79923-0
Producer Joshua Redman, James Farber
Joshua Redman chronology
Back East
(2007)
Compass
(2009)
James Farm
(2011)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Buffalo News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
PopMatters 7/10 [6]
Time Out Dubai 5/7 [7]
Tom Hull B+ [8]

Compass is a studio album by jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman. [9] It was released on January 13, 2009 via Nonesuch Records label to a critical success, scoring 83% on Metacritic.

Contents

Reception

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

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Uncharted" Larry Grenadier, Gregory Hutchinson, Joshua Redman, Reuben Rogers 2:05
2."Faraway"Redman6:43
3."Identity Thief"Redman6:39
4."Just Like You"Redman7:30
5."Hutchhiker's Guide"Redman5:47
6."Ghost"Redman3:38
7."Insomnomaniac"Redman8:39
8."Moonlight" Ludwig van Beethoven 5:03
9."Un Peu Fou"Redman5:05
10."March" Larry Grenadier 3:22
11."Round Reuben"Redman6:26
12."Little Ditty"Redman8:30
13."Through the Valley" Brian Blade 2:59
Total length:1:12:26

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Compass
Chart (2009)Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP) [11] 158 [12]
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) [13] 4 [14]

References

  1. "Compass". Metacritic . metacritic.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  2. Jurek, Thom. "Joshua Redman: Compass". Allmusic . allmusic.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  3. Simon, Jeff (January 23, 2009). "Discs". The Buffalo News . Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  4. WILLIAMS, K. LEANDER (January 21, 2009). "Compass". Entertainment Weekly . ew.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  5. Fordham, John (January 9, 2009). "Joshua Redman: Compass". The Guardian . theguardian.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  6. Kabran, Michael (February 2, 2009). "Joshua Redman: Compass". PopMatters . popmatters.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  7. Wilkinson, James (February 2, 2009). "Music reviews". Time Out Dubai . Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  8. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Joshua Redman". Tom Hull . Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  9. "Joshua Redman - Compass". Discogs . discogs.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  10. Easlee, Daryl (2009). "Joshua Redman Compass Review". BBC . Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  11. "Lescharts.com – Joshua Redman – Compass". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  12. "Joshua Redman - Compass". lescharts.com. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  13. "Josha Redman Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  14. "Joshua Redman". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2020.