Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California on February 1, 1969. Redman grew up in a musical family his father is saxophonist Dewey Redman. Redman was raised by his mother, Renee Shedroff, in Berkeley where she studied South Indian dance at the Center for World Music in Berkeley.

Redman’s father didn’t teach him how to play the saxophone. He was self-taught. He started playing the saxophone when he was 10. He played in his high school jazz ensemble. Redman attended Harvard and majored in social studies. He was accepted to Yale Law School, but took a year off to pursue music. In 1991, Redman won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. This put his pursuit of a law degree on hold indefinitely.