Joshua Redman: My One and Only Love

Sinatra's 1953 recording established this song as a pop standard, and Coltrane's version with Johnny Hartman enshrined it as a much cherished tenor sax ballad. Since then, everyone from Michael Brecker to Sonny Rollins has shown off their chops on these changes. Big shoes to fill, but Redman makes his mark on this exceptional performance, captured live at the Village Vanguard in 1995. He has the audience ooh-ing and ah-ing from his very first phrase, and keeps them mesmerized until the conclusion of his tour de force coda. So many great saxophone performances have graced the Village Vanguard over the years, but this still has to be among the very best.