Walking Shadows

There’s a tradition of jazz-meets-strings albums that dates back to the early '50s, and saxophonist Joshua Redman’s Walking Shadows sits squarely in that line. One appeal of this kind of pairing is the blend of two forms of elegance: lyrical improvisation and lush arrangements that draw from classical and pop. Here, Redman leads a quartet featuring pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Brian Blade. Mehldau also serves as producer; the orchestral arrangements are by Mehldau, conductor Dan Coleman, and composer Patrick Zimmerli. (Only half of the tracks have strings; a few pieces are for trio, and one is a duet.) Kern and Hammerstein’s “The Folks Who Live on the Hill” opens with some nice back-and-forth between tenor sax and strings before the band joins in and the track fully blossoms. Redman and Grenadier bring great feeling to Bach’s “Adagio” as Blade adds subtle accompaniment on brushes. The drummer’s simple, steady beats lend a tone of gravity to a cover of Blonde Redhead’s “Doll Is Mine,” while Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” features Redman's sinuous soprano sax.