Jazzy, funky grooves from Redman

One of the biggest names in jazz saxophone in past decade, Joshua Redman continues to stretch himself out as a player by sliding a variety of styles into the mix with his characteristic sound. Perhaps that's why his latest effort, with drummer Brian Blade and organist Sam Yahel, is titled Elastic. This time the destination seems to be a mix of modern jazz production with funky grooves.\nThere are enough hooks to keep parts of the album interesting, as in the head to "Can a Good Thing Last Forever?" with its changes that seem to borrow more from '70s Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder than contemporary jazz stylists. Redman's simple, straight-ahead harmonies work great on funkier tunes likes "News from the Front" and "Boogielastic." What's more, the band is essentially a trio, with occasional help on percussion from Bashiri Johnson. Yet without a bass, this disc grooves pretty hard at times. \nAnd that's really what stands out most about this album: the focus on rhythm. The meat of Redman's solos, as well the others' work, is in rhythmic motif, not the melody. This is a given with Blade, but Yahel's astonishingly convincing "bass" work and sound stand out as well. \nBut the disc is not without its problems. Redman and Yahel trade a bit on "Still Pushin' that Rock," but it's usually in short bursts and probably for the better. Often it sounds uninspired, and the length of these trades makes it feel like the players are admitting it. Several solos seem less like noodling than actually a search for something to grab onto. It's not really ugly, just boring.\nAll in all, though, this would be a good album to listen to a few times and find the seven or eight tracks you like and stick with them. Oddly enough, the tracks with the more chaotic introductions end up being the best ones. Though it's not Redman's most adventurous or accessible effort, the highlights ("Boogielastic," "News from the Front" and "The Birthday Song") and Redman's ever-evolving style make this an interesting, if inconsistent, album.