"Wish" is one of several original compositions by Joshua Redman on his 1993 self-titled debut album, a tender ballad that showcases the lyrical side of his artistry. Written in an AABC form in G major with an unusual twenty-eight-bar structure, the piece unfolds at a gentle tempo, giving Redman space to explore the melody's emotional terrain with patience and sensitivity. His one-chorus tenor saxophone solo reveals a player whose expressiveness belies his youth, with each phrase shaped by a vocalist's sense of dynamics and phrasing. Kevin Hayes follows with one chorus of piano, his accompaniment and solo work demonstrating the refined harmonic sensibility that complements Redman's approach throughout the album. The ballad format allows the listener to appreciate the depth of communication between these musicians, who were part of a cohort of young players reinvigorating the New York jazz scene in the early 1990s. Redman had the unusual distinction of being the son of saxophone great Dewey Redman, and while comparisons were inevitable, performances like this one demonstrated that Joshua possessed a wholly individual voice. The album was produced by Matt Pierson and recorded at Power Station in New York, its warm, detailed sound capturing the intimacy of this performance beautifully.
