SFJAZZ Collective

Saxophonist Joshua Redman hopes to build his legacy by mainstreaming the music of the jazz adventurers of the '50s and '60s. For his sophomore recording with the SFJAZZ Collective, a repertory ensemble sponsored by SFJAZZ — one of the nation's top producers of world-class concerts based in San Francisco — he takes on the legendary John Coltrane. With a split program of classic 'Trane tracks and original pieces, the album also aims to showcase ambitious compositions by the group's younger members. But despite its good intentions, this follow-up to last year's off-the-mark Ornette Coleman tribute also comes up short. The only memorable titles are trumpeter Nicholas Payton's "Scrambled Eggs," a somewhat fiery tune with beautifully sculpted noisy parts, and Gil Goldstein's multi-dimensional arrangement of 'Trane's expansive "Africa," which strikes a fitting balance between visionary and earthy. Otherwise, SFJAZZ Collective delivers mundane new works and insipid covers of some of the genre's greatest music — which does little to promote either Redman or Coltrane's contributions to posterity.