James Farm (Nonesuch)
James Farm
Released April 26, 2011
Top 10 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll 2011
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ml9psNn4FMVCtz3GWSA7A7GaPHKGI_lkw
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/7t1S84p0vx56uvnDTXGAqJ?si=cHj0VUSIRtih4Ih07U7Pzg
About:
James Farm is a
collaborative band featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks,
bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. The band uses traditional
acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation for its song-based approach to jazz and
incorporates the members’ myriad influences: rock, soul, folk, classical, and
electronica, among many others. Nonesuch releases the band’s self-titled debut
album on April 26, 2011.
Penman says of the
group, “James Farm is where we pool our collective knowledge, let run the best
of our ideas arising from our varied musical influences, while acknowledging
substantial common ground—a love of jazz, a fascination with song and
structure, an obsession with groove, and a receptivity to contemporary
influences. A band where we can be
creative composers and improvisers, in step with the rhythm of the times,
constantly evolving.”
The quartet has
received critical acclaim since its debut at the 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival,
where they played to a packed house and rave reviews. “This much is clear: these are absolute
professional musicians at the top of their game,” said All About
Jazz.
Although this is the
first time the quartet members have performed and recorded in this exact
configuration, the musicians were hardly strangers. Redman, Harland, and Penman performed together
as part of the SFJAZZ Collective, and pianist Aaron Parks used the James Farm
rhythm section on his debut recording for Blue Note records, Invisible
Cinema (2008).
Track Listing:
1. Coax (Matt Penman) 7:09
2. Polliwog (Joshua Redman) 8:22
3. Bijou (Aaron Parks) 4:16
4. Chronos (Aaron Parks) 8:58
5. Star Crossed (Joshua Redman) 7:15
6. 1981 (Matt Penman) 8:50
7. I-10 (Eric Harland) 4:31
8. Unravel (Aaron Parks) 5:52
9. If By Air (Joshua Redman) 6:53
10. Low Fives (Matt Penman) 7:01
Personnel:
Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone (1-9), soprano saxophone (10)
Aaron Parks: piano; tack piano, Prophet-5 (1); pump organ, humming (2); Rhodes, Prophet-5, Hammond Home Organ (4); Celeste, Prophet-5 (6); Rhodes (8); pump organ, Hammond Home Organ (9)
Matt Penman: bass
Eric Harland: drums
Recorded August 26-29, 2010 at The Clubhouse, Rhinebeck, New York, by James Farber
Recording Assistant: Eli Walker
Additional Recording by Pete Rende
Edited by Joshua Redman, Eli Walker, and Dave Darlington
Mixed by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Studios, New York, NY
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound
Design by John Gall
Cover Photograph by Aaron Parks
Band Photograph by Jimmy Katz
Produced by James Farm
Review:
In 2009, four busy jazz musicians — saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland — gathered on a rare off day to see what they might cook up together. Out of that came a band they call James Farm, and an album of the same name.
New bands don’t come along every day in jazz. The reasons are mostly practical: Gifted musicians like the members of James Farm are in demand and would have to turn down lots of lucrative work to commit full-time to one single enterprise. But listen to these unusual compositions, and to the lively exchanges that erupt inside of them. Even though these players can only make a partial commitment of time to James Farm, they’re fully committed musically.
Redman says that James Farm is truly a band. No one person was responsible for all the decisions on the album — everyone contributed compositions and ideas. The four built time into the recording schedule for discussion, as well as for trial and error. After the first few pieces were finished, Redman says it was clear to the four that they’d arrived at that rare thing: a band identity. You can hear it in the lyrical, singing melodies, as well as in the carefully textured accompaniments.
Incredibly, James Farm only played about 20 gigs before recording this debut. According to Redman, there are only sketchy plans for the future; everybody’s busy. Here’s hoping that the four manage to connect often enough to continue evolving as a band. The vibrant conversation they’ve begun with this album can go at least a few steps further.
Tom Moon (npr)
