Word is, he's a bit of a 'phenom'. Some listeners say he's never fulfilled his promise, and yet others love him for his changeability.

I was there to hear him for myself.

I found that Redman has a fondness for lean and simplified R&B and funk grooves.

His discrete use of electronics gives him a second voice to work with, and he's clearly trying for a good balance between composition and improvisation.

As for the general 'sound' of Redman's set — it evoked for me the jazz funk sound of 1980's C.T.I. albums like Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" and Stanley Turrentine's "Don't Mess With Mr. T."

Make no mistake: there's undeniable intelligence and sensuality in Redman's music, but to this listener the compositions seemed a little formless, often resolving themselves in predictable rather than necessary ways.