In the annals of 1990s jazz, few debuts carried the weight of expectation—and delivered on it as spectacularly—as Joshua Redman’s Wish. Released in 1993 on Warner Bros. Records, this album did not just introduce a saxophonist; it announced the arrival of a movement. Often dubbed the “Young Lion” of the neo-bop resurgence, Redman sidestepped mere nostalgia, forging a record that was at once deeply respectful of hard-bop tradition and electrifyingly modern.
In the early 1990s, the jazz world was searching for a new torchbearer—someone who could honor the rigorous traditions of the past while injecting the genre with contemporary energy. Enter Joshua Redman. While his self-titled debut earlier in 1993 turned heads, it was his sophomore effort, Wish, that solidified his status as a generational talent.
What to look for in a legitimate Wish FLAC rip: Joshua Redman - Wish -1993- -Lossless FLAC-
Critically, Wish stands the test of time because it refuses to be pigeonholed. It is an intellectual album—Redman’s solos are mathematically precise and thematically developed—but it wears its intellect lightly. It is also a groove album, buoyed by Higgins and Haden, but it avoids the vapid smooth jazz pitfalls of the era. Listening to the 1993 recording in FLAC is akin to viewing a restored film print; the grain is still there, the artifact of the era remains, but the colors are truer, and the edges are sharper. The digital artifacting that sometimes plagues early digital recordings is mitigated by the transparency of the lossless codec, allowing the warmth of the analog instruments to shine through.
If you're interested in exploring more about Joshua Redman or jazz music in general, here are some suggestions: Joshua Redman – Wish (1993) – Lossless FLAC
Article prepared for audiophile and jazz collector communities. Lossless is the only ethical way to honor the dynamic range of Redman, Metheny, Haden & Higgins.
Wish was a commercial and critical smash: Joshua Redman : tenor and soprano saxophones Brad
On Wish, Redman assembled an elite, piano-less quartet featuring three legendary veterans who were also frequent collaborators of Ornette Coleman: Pat Metheny: Guitar Charlie Haden: Acoustic Bass Billy Higgins: Drums