Dave Redmond

“All in Motion”

(Step By Records SBR - 010)

Dave Redmond – double bass, composer, Stephane Mercier – alto saxophone, George Colligan – piano, Darren Beckett – drums

Released in September 2025 “All in Motion” features an international quartet led by the Dublin based bassist and composer Dave Redmond and featuring Belgian saxophonist Stephane Mercier and the esteemed American pianist George Colligan. The line up is completed by Darren Beckett, an Irish born drummer who spent more than twenty years living and working in New York City.

Dave Redmond is Ireland’s leading jazz bassist and has appeared on the Jazzmann web pages as a member of drummer Kevin Brady’s trio, a group that also featured the American pianist Bill Carrothers. I enjoyed a live performance by this line-up at the 2011 Brecon Jazz Festival.

On disc I have reviewed recordings featuring Redmond by the Irish guitarist Tommy Halferty (“Burkina” 2014) and by Colligan, “Live In Arklow” being a live recording from 2018 from a concert forming part Bray Jazz Festival’s “On The Road” series. This featured Colligan, Redmond and Beckett. It was the first time Colligan had met Redmond but a musical bond was swiftly formed and still continues to flourish. Review of “Live in Arklow” here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/the-george-colligan-trio-live-in-arklow

The late, great American guitarist Larry Coryell (1943-2017) was a regular visitor to Ireland and Redmond and Brady both appear on the Coryell album “Last Swing With Ireland”, recorded in a Dublin studio in May 2016 but not released until 2021. Review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/larry-coryell-last-swing-with-ireland

Redmond was also part of Brady’s Electric Quartet, a group featuring the great Seamus Blake on tenor sax and Carrothers on Fender Rhodes. That group’s excellent album “Plan B” (2021) is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/larry-coryell-last-swing-with-ireland

Brady and Redmond then teamed up with saxophonist Meilana Gillard  as RBG Trio. That group’s impressive eponymous debut is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/rbg-trio-rbg-trio

Others with whom Redmond has worked include Van Morrison, saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Jason Rebello. A prolific sideman he has appeared on more than thirty five albums and has toured internationally, performing in countries all over the globe.

“All in Motion” was recorded at Camden Studios in Dublin in May 2024 and appears on the Belgian record label Step by Step. The programme features ten original compositions from the pen of Redmond and commences with the title track, an atmospheric piece that features a drifting rubato melody with Mercier’s alto sax meditations underpinned by gently rolling piano, double bass and mallet rumbles. Redmond regards the piece as a kind of overture, an invitation into the quartet’s musical world.

There’s a complete gear change with the up-tempo grooves of “Inner Way” which combines contemporary post bop jazz with brief Latin-esque episodes. Colligan is the first to feature with a dazzling piano solo that sometimes reminded me of the late, great McCoy Tyner, an acknowledged influence. Mercier follows with a fluent and incisive alto solo and leader Redmond also impresses with a dexterous excursion on double bass.

By way of contrast “Centro” is a lyrical ballad that depicts a more tender and reflective side of the quartet’s playing. Redmond delivers a highly melodic bass solo, followed by Mercier’s alto sax ruminations and Colligan’s flowingly lyrical pianistics.

Mercier sits out on “Faultlines”, an intense and rumbustious piano trio performance that acts as something of a showcase for the brilliant Colligan who is in particularly dazzling form with a barnstorming solo that is both powerful and inventive. Redmond follows at the bass, handing back to Colligam prior to a dynamic Beckett drum feature towards the close.

Mercier returns for the medium tempo “Pond Life”, introduced by Colligan at the piano. Although not a true ballad it’s a laid back, gently swinging performance with a strong emphasis on melody. Colligan’s piano solo is less intense than on “Faultlines”, but no less imaginative, and Mercier also impresses as he probes subtly on alto.

Beckett’s drums introduce “Windchill”, a more up-tempo offering that pays homage to early period Wayne Shorter. Rhythmically vibrant and harmonically adventurous Mercier’s theme statement is followed by fluent and inventive solos from Colligan. Mercier and leader Redmond.

As befits its title “Chilled Hymn” cools things down again and is a modern day ballad that draws inspiration from contemporary classical music. It features the members of the quartet at their most reflective and sensitive and includes a freely improvised intro, during the course of which one can picture the musicians in the studio closely listening to each other, with Beckett’s delicate brushwork complementing the gentle ruminations of alto, piano and bass. Subsequently Mercier’s long, elegant sax melody lines are enhanced by Colligan’s piano colourations and the sympathetic support of bass and drums. Redmond later delivers a delightfully melodic double bass solo, followed by Colligan at his most lyrical at the piano.

“One Way Street” ups the energy levels once more, a surging, high velocity piece with something of a New York feel about it. Relentlessly driving rhythms fuel the effervescent soloing of Colligan and Mercier while Redmond breaks cover with a fiercely plucked double bass solo.

“All in Motion Duo” revisits the title track, re-imagining it as an atmospheric duet for alto saxophone and rich, dark arco bass. One can’t fail to be impressed by the quality and majesty of Redmond’s bowing, his deep grainy sounds forming the perfect contrast to the delicate beauty of Mercier’s alto. Throughout the album the Belgian favours a pure, elegant tone on alto, but there’s also a subtle incisiveness to his playing that is reminiscent of the late, great Lee Konitz.

The album concludes with “Drip Dry”, another uptempo offering, albeit one in a quirky 7/8 rhythm which nevertheless infuses the piece with a playful energy. Leader Redmond steps up to the plate first with a virtuoso double bass solo that features further vigorous plucking. Mercier follows with a lithe, slippery alto sax solo while Colligan’s piano solo is both percussive and highly inventive. Beckett features briefly towards the close as others take on the responsibility for that tricky groove.

“All in Motion” represents an impressive artistic statement from Redmond. It’s good to see him placing the focus on original writing and delivering a programme that embraces a variety of jazz styles, albeit within an overall contemporary post bop framework,  with plenty of variety in terms of pace and dynamics. Colligan and Mercier are both inspired choices as collaborators and both deliver some excellent solos. In his role as leader Redmond also allocates himself a fair degree of space as a soloist and is also hugely impressive in this role, both with and without the bow. As a rhythm player he forms an excellent team with Beckett, the drummer ‘taking care of business’ throughout, a relatively undemonstrative player but one who impresses during his own occasional solo features.

The album confirms Redmond’s status as one of Ireland’s premier bass players while also enhancing his reputation as a composer and bandleader.

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