The environs of Stanford University clearly agree with tenor saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman. An alumnus of its summer jazz camp and a former faculty artist at its Jazz Workshop, Redman spent the winter quarter of 2019 as the Mohr Visiting Artist in Stanford’s Department of Music. Now he’s returning to the university’s northern California campus as a visiting artist—this time for a full academic year.
Redman will spend the first two quarters of 2019-20 teaching master classes, coaching the university’s jazz combos, and guest lecturing, as well as performing with the Stanford Jazz Orchestra. During the spring quarter, he’ll be teaching two levels of improvisation courses.
“I’m thrilled to be continuing my journey at Stanford,” Redman said in a statement. “It is a world full of exceptional individuals and vibrant communities, and I hope to be learning, and growing, here for a long time to come.”
James Nadel, lecturer in the Department of Music and founder of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, added, “It’s virtually unheard of to have one of the greatest jazz artists of our times in a significant residence at any university once, let alone twice.”
Though not a Stanford alum—he graduated from Harvard summa cum laude in 1991—Redman grew up in nearby Berkeley, where he was part of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble. After his undergraduate years he had intended to go on to law school and was accepted by Yale, but he deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. Music fans know what happened next: Redman moved to New York, immediately became immersed in the jazz scene, and began a professional career as a performer and recording artist that continues to this day. He has now made more than 20 albums for Warner Bros. and Nonesuch, been nominated for a Grammy seven times, and garnered top honors in critics’ and readers’ polls in various music publications.