Momentum

After hearing about Redman from a fellow musician, I got this album. Redman has become my new favorite artist. This album is pure, unadulterated funk that has a 70's feel, coupled with Redman's virtuosity on the sax. Unlike the review, the track "Put It In Your Pocket" is one of my favorite for its in-studio alterations. The result is a solo enhanced by interesting harmonies and rhythms. All accompanists are solid and Redman's compositions are unbelievable. If you're thinking about it, buy it. You will definitely not regret it.

I am a huge fan of josh redman, and he does an amazing job on the sax. STELLAR! this is a GREAT album, i highly recomend it for a saxaphonist like me, who likes a bold, good, and funky jazz. josh just blows me away...

Good,but not quite the real jazz I love by Redman. To electronic for my taste.

I'm normally not a jazz person, in fact I like almost all rock, but I heard of this band when my drum teacher showed me Brian Blade, a drummer on some of the tracks for this album, and it is amazing, kind of like jazz with a very funk like feel. Some great tracks are Double Jeopary, with Flea's bass, and Put it in your pocket, with ?uestloves great funk beats. Also, sweet nasty has a great feel to it.

The title is not in reference to the disc, but to the negative reviews. About the same age as JR, I've followed his work since the early 1990s. This disc is booty shaking head bobbing pleasure. If you track the growth of JR through his recordings, this disc is really stepping out for him. It's my favorite except for Wish. Keep up the great work!

Ya know, I like Joshua Redman, but funky he is not. Sorry, bro. Maybe its cause I didn't get a music degree from Stanford (Joshua did!) but I still think his best album is "Wish." He's best when he sticks to straight jazz. He's obviously super talented, but I think he "over-thinks" the funk cuts. Go to Karl Denson (see Dance lesson #2 or West Coast Boogaloo) if you're looking for funky sax cuts.

Let me preface by saying that this is not a knock on JR's playing as he is at the top of young players out there today. But the record just doesn't work on any level. Everything he is trying to do here had already been done better by different artists/groups. I am a huge fan of the jazz/funk/soul thing. Love me some JB's, Soulive, Sonny Rollins you name it. So when I heard about JR's side project and read the great user reviews I bought the album but I now regret it. I have bought dozens of albums on iTunes and this is the first purchase where I actually wrote a review positive or negative. Now to the music. Jazz is a tricky thing when you try to mix genres be it funk, electronic or whatever. Few artists or groups get it right. Remember Branford Marsalis' "Buckshot LeFonque" in the 90's where he tried to do the "hip hop/funk/drum n bass/fusion" thing? What a cheesy disaster! As for JR's "Momentum", the special effects here ruin the sound and feel. The mix is very dry and "live club" sounding which is cool - so why is there all this cavernous reverb out of nowhere? Sax phrases cascade with ridiculous delays, choruses etc. The main problem is that JR has discovered the harmonizer and uses it WAY too much. The effect either doubles or harmonizes the sax electronically creating this weird parallel harmony on his lines. This effect would have been ok on one or two tracks, but not throughout the album. The result is a dated, annoying, non-funky, cheesy vibe. You want funky soul, get old Tower of Power or Breakestra. You want jazz soul, get old Grover Washington (used the haromizer sound in the 80's), George Benson, Jimmy Smith, or Soulive. You want a little hip hop, latin w/electronica in your jazz/funk, try "We the People" by Groove Collective or Topaz. You want faux funk jazz fusion with angular faux bop heads and some electronics get Yellowjackets (Bob Mintzer uses bass clarinet and EWI [electronic sax] very effectively). There are much better ways to spend your iTunes money - skip this album.

Willl someone please step up and take notice of one of the most prolific artists out there right now? Redman( not the rapper) is a jazz hall of famer and his music matured me through the nineties. Take heed and listen.

The All Music review really turned me off. The sound bytes sounded good, what gives? Then a friend played me his copy. Wow. I went out immediately and purchased it. I don't know what's going on here, but the review displayed here is unjust and doesn't belong here. Besides my opinion, it just doesn't make any business sense. 'Buy this album but it's not that good' - ? iTunes should think twice about posting negative reviews.

the "all music" review of the cd is absolutely wrong. Momentum is one of Joshua's Best cds. buy it. now. It'll be worth it.