Released

The 2020 reunion of saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Brian Blade, who’d made Redman’s 1994 album MoodSwing together then gone their separate ways, was received with such rapture from ’90s jazz heads, they knew they had to go back to the well at least one more time. This sequel feels a little slighter (five new compositions and a live version of “Rejoice,” from MoodSwing), but the quartet’s joy in playing together is audible throughout. There’s nothing rote here, and Redman’s solos often grow nearly ecstatic. The ballad “Statuesque” is a highlight, with the saxophonist’s gentle, careful lines supported by McBride’s equally thoughtful bass work as Blade and Mehldau offer both foundation and accents. And when the tempo picks up, it feels earned, not theatrical. Redman’s unaccompanied intro to “Kite Song” is compelling, drawing the listener into a piece that shimmers like a sunlit cloud.

Phil Freeman