Joshua Redman
Born in Berkeley, Joshua Redman was steeped in music from a young age. An early influence was the Center for World Music, where his mother, Renee Shedroff, studied dance. As a child he tried out many instruments, including the gamelan, and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. At Willard he was a member of the band and glee club, and he played in Berkeley High’s award-winning jazz ensemble for four years before going on to Harvard University, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1991. He was preparing to attend law school when he took a year off to live in New York and perform with his father, jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman. He immediately drew attention with his charismatic playing. Within a few months the young man won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, and became committed to a musical career. He’s gone on to win multiple Grammy Awards and participate and collaborate with artists around the world. “It’s quite possible that if I hadn’t grown up in Berkeley I wouldn’t have been the musician I am—or even a musician,” he told Berkeleyside in 2011. Although he spends much of his time on the road these days, Berkeley, where he lives with his wife and children, is now home again.