Houston-Raised Pianist Paul Cornish Returns Home With Joshua Redman Quartet

Saxophonist Joshua Redman brings his working quartet to downtown Houston on Saturday, October 17, with a hometown storyline built right into the band: pianist Paul Cornish, a Houston native and graduate of Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, will share the stage with the ten-time Grammy nominee at the Wortham Theater Center. The 8 p.m. show kicks off DACAMERA's 2026-2027 Jazz Series, with tickets running $60.50 to $101.00.

The concert, held in the 1,100-seat Lillie and Roy Cullen Theater inside the Wortham at 501 Texas Ave., arrives as Redman tours behind his 2025 studio album, Words Fall Short, according to CultureMap Houston. Released on Blue Note Records, the record marked Redman's second album for the storied label and the recorded debut of the quartet he now tours with. Rounding out the group are bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo, both credited on the album alongside Cornish.

Redman wrote the original compositions for Words Fall Short during the pandemic, and he recruited Cornish, Norris, and Ebo as his backing band while touring behind his 2023 release, according to Everything Jazz. The album's title references a book by author Yiyun Li. What started as a touring group eventually solidified into the core recording unit that will perform at the Cullen Theater.

A Houston Kid Who Made It to Blue Note

Cornish grew up in Houston, attending Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School before landing at Kinder HSPVA, according to a blindfold-test interview published by Chris Becker. Kinder HSPVA has produced other Blue Note artists including Jason Moran and Robert Glasper, cementing the school's reputation as a launching pad for serious jazz talent. Cornish went on to complete a fellowship at UCLA's Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.

That trajectory continued this past year: after his run as a sideman with Redman, Cornish released his own debut album as a leader, You're Exaggerating!, on Blue Note Records on August 22, 2025. He had previously been a finalist in both the American Pianists Awards and the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Piano Competition. For Houston audiences, his return with Redman's quartet doubles as a homecoming and a showcase of just how far his career has traveled since his HSPVA days.

The Rest of the Rhythm Section

Bassist Philip Norris, originally from Winnipeg and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from Juilliard, per JazzBuffalo. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Emmet Cohen Trio, and originally studied piano and French horn before switching to double bass at age 13. Drummer Nazir Ebo completes the quartet's core lineup alongside Norris and Cornish.

Redman himself arrived at this point in his career by an unconventional route. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1991 with a degree in social studies and had deferred admission to Yale Law School, but he instead won first prize at the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, a victory that launched his professional recording career in New York rather than a legal one.

DACAMERA's Long History With Redman

Redman is no stranger to DACAMERA's stage. He performed in Houston in January 2025 with vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa, highlighting material from his album where are we, and appeared in prior seasons with his Still Dreaming Quartet and 3x3 Trio. That recurring relationship underscores how central Redman has become to DACAMERA's jazz programming over multiple touring cycles.

Founded in Houston in 1987 by violinist Sergiu Luca and led by Artistic Director Sarah Rothenberg since 1994, DACAMERA recently expanded its footprint by launching its own record label, DaCamera Editions, in January 2026, according to the Houston Chronicle. The organization's presentation of Redman's quartet at the Cullen Theater reflects its decades-long presence in Houston's arts ecosystem, where it continues pairing major touring jazz projects with homegrown talent like Cornish. DACAMERA's seven-show jazz series this season also includes performances from Julian Lage and Arturo O'Farrill.

Redman's Houston date follows a busy summer that included a headlining turn at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in New York, as Hoodline previously reported. As with any live event, attendees are advised to check with the venue or DACAMERA directly to confirm the show remains scheduled, since the performance is subject to change due to weather or other concerns.