After years of turning down the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Joshua Redman finally agreed to fly over for the tenth anniversary celebrations. His new group, the Elastic Band, is very different to anything he's ever done before, taking him well away from the mainstream. Last minute addition A welcome last-minute addition to the line-up was the electric guitar of Geoff Parker, a wonderfully relaxed player, who makes it all look so easy. Parker opened the set, joined by Redman's full-bodied but mellow saxophone on Sheryl Crow's "River Wide", a highly unlikely piece, yet it worked extremely well. Surprise Another surprise was the band's interpretation of Led Zeppelin's "The Crunge", with Redman cutting up from low notes to the highest register of his tenor saxophone in one breath. A strong drum solo, full of energy but never overpowering, by Geoff Ballard, made this rock classic seem like a natural for the jazz treatment. Samba effect Joshua Redman switched to soprano for one of his own compositions, "Montreux Number Five", an emotive ballad, with a samba effect on the drums from Ballard. The building, echiong crescendo of keyboard player, Sam Yahel, was particularly effective on another original composition, "Birthday Song." This finished off a set of funky, soul-laden jazz, with an experimental edge to it. This article is user-generated content (i.e. external contribution) expressing a personal opinion, not the views of BBC Gloucestershire. | 
