Redman Matures Into a Virtuoso Musician

You can say this about Joshua Redman: He’ll never get stuck in a musical rut. And that’s saying a lot for a player who, at 31, has been a highly visible, heavily promoted and remarkably successful jazz artist for nearly a decade.

But Redman’s growth, change and musical development continue unabated, despite his already numerous achievements. On Wednesday, in a one-nighter at the Roxy to support his new Warner Bros. album “Beyond,” the saxophonist fronted the same superb group of players present on the recording: Aaron Goldberg, piano; Reuben Rogers, bass; and Gregory Hutchinson, drums.

With the exception of a closing romp through “Summertime,” the set was principally devoted to material from the album. And the quality of the works underscored the compositional progress that has accompanied Redman’s maturation as an improviser. Many were written in unusual meters, but their exposition occurred in such subtle, musically layered fashion that the disjunct rhythms seemed to stimulate the imagination rather than--as so often happens--a self-conscious need to stay within the meter.

The compositions were further enhanced by the easy interaction between the players. Constantly listening to each other, responding to phrases and ideas tossed back and forth, quick to respond to Redman’s shifts of mood and manner, the quartet’s work was a stunning example of contemporary jazz artistry at its best.

The central figure, however, was Redman, whose playing continues to climb to higher levels. Always an impressive technician, he now has become a true virtuoso. Capable of executing his free-flowing musical ideas with stunning rapidity, he easily shifted from high-speed fingering into floating, melodic lyricism, often delivering his lines through the high harmonic sounds of his tenor saxophone.

Redman’s early promise, his identification as the next major influence on his instrument, positioned him in an environment that often sought an unsteady balance between artistic expression and commercial demands. To his credit, he appears to have survived the heat and placed his creative expression at the front and center.