Words Fall Short

Words Fall Short
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 20, 2025 (2025-06-20)
RecordedNovember 30, 2024 — December 2, 2024
StudioOktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, NY
GenreJazz
Length45:29
LabelBlue Note
ProducerJoshua Redman
Joshua Redman chronology
Where Are We
(2023)
Words Fall Short
(2025)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[1]
AllMusic[2]
The Guardian[3]
Jazzwise[4]
Tom HullB+[5]

Words Fall Short is a studio album by American jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman, debuting a quartet including himself, pianist Paul Cornish, bassist Philip Norris, and drummer Nazir Ebo. Redman's second album for Blue Note, it was released on June 20, 2025.[6]

Reception

Selwyn Harris of Jazzwise wrote, "As with the previous where are we, regardless of the diverse subgenre-mix or format, Redman is playing his best self these days."[4] Matt Collar of AllMusic stated, "While it doesn't feel like Redman is looking to completely redefine his sound here, he sounds engaged and encouraged to explore new sonic areas. He's never been one to sit still creatively, and his work on Words Fall Short speaks to his ability to both draw from his idols and from his quartet while pushing himself beyond his comfort zone."[2] John Fordham of The Guardian added, " The result is an album that feels more like an ideal balance of Redman’s own ingenuity and his ensemble rapport."[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Joshua Redman.

No.TitleGuest artistLength
1."A Message to Unsend" 5:07
2."So It Goes"Melissa Aldana6:59
3."Words Fall Short" 4:48
4."Borrowed Eyes" 5:51
5."Icarus"Skylar Tang6:24
6."Over the Jelly-Green Sea" 4:44
7."She Knows" 5:20
8."Era's End"Gabrielle Cavassa6:12
Total length:45:29

Personnel

  • Joshua Redman – saxophone
  • Paul Cornish – piano
  • Philip Norris – bass
  • Nazir Ebo – drums
  • Gabrielle Cavassa – vocals on track 8
  • Melissa Aldana – saxophone on track 2
  • Skylar Tang – trumpet on track 5

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Words Fall Short
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[7] 28

References

  1. ^ Jazz, All About (July 6, 2025). "Joshua Redman: Words Fall Short album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Collar, Matt. "Words Fall Short - Joshua Redman | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Fordham, John (June 27, 2025). "Joshua Redman: Words Fall Short review – improviser's playful delight in music-making never ceases". The Guardian. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Harris, Selwyn. "Joshua Redman: Words Fall Short". Jazzwise. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  5. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Joshua Redman". Tom Hull. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  6. ^ "JOSHUA REDMAN - Joshua Redman - Words Fall Short". Blue Note Records. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  7. ^ "Lista prodaje (strano) 26. tjedan 2025. (23.06.2025. – 29.06.2025.)". Top lista (in Croatian). July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.