JAMES FARM
''CITY FOLK''
OCTOBER 27 2014
63:30
1 Two Steps 05:02
2 Unknown 07:03
3 North Star 07:54
4 Mr. E 08:52
5 Farms 04:32
6 Otherwise 06:35
7 Jury’s Out 05:30
8 Aspirin 07:35
9 City Folk 06:59
10 What Remains 03:24
Eric Harland/Composer, Drums, Drums (Bass), Drums (Snare), Dulcimer, Shaker
Aaron Parks/Composer, Fender Rhodes, Juno, Mellotron, Piano, Vocals, Wurlitzer, Yamaha Keyboards
Matt Penman/Bass, ComposerDon Piper Recording Assistant
Joshua Redman/Composer, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
BIOGRAPHY
By AllMusic
Jazz quartet James Farm is an acoustic-based yet forward-thinking ensemble featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. Formed in 2009, the group toured for a year to work out material before recording. In 2011, they released their debut self-titled album on Nonesuch. James Farm returned in 2014 with their self-produced sophomore album, City Folk.
REVIEW
With their eponymous 2011 debut, the talented US collective James Farm created an attractive formula: fluent contemporary-bop soloing on pop-like tunes, country ballads, and some European-folk mutations, all powered by the thoroughbred rhythm section of drummer Eric Harland and bassist Matt Penman, fronted by sax star Joshua Redman and young pianist Aaron Parks. That album’s improv was stronger than the writing, and to some extent the same applies here – but the soloing is even more compelling, three of the tunes are superb (Penman’s riffy Two Steps, with its languidly slappy Harland backbeat; Parks’ meanderingly funky Otherwise; and Redman’s gently evaporating finale, What Remains), and the tracklist also features memorable vehicles for the saxophonist’s finely nuanced lyrical gifts, notably the quietly propulsive Unknown, with its yearning, pearly-toned soprano line. But it’s Parks and Redman’s enthralling improvisations that give this inviting set its special character.
''CITY FOLK''
OCTOBER 27 2014
63:30
1 Two Steps 05:02
2 Unknown 07:03
3 North Star 07:54
4 Mr. E 08:52
5 Farms 04:32
6 Otherwise 06:35
7 Jury’s Out 05:30
8 Aspirin 07:35
9 City Folk 06:59
10 What Remains 03:24
Eric Harland/Composer, Drums, Drums (Bass), Drums (Snare), Dulcimer, Shaker
Aaron Parks/Composer, Fender Rhodes, Juno, Mellotron, Piano, Vocals, Wurlitzer, Yamaha Keyboards
Matt Penman/Bass, ComposerDon Piper Recording Assistant
Joshua Redman/Composer, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
BIOGRAPHY
By AllMusic
Jazz quartet James Farm is an acoustic-based yet forward-thinking ensemble featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. Formed in 2009, the group toured for a year to work out material before recording. In 2011, they released their debut self-titled album on Nonesuch. James Farm returned in 2014 with their self-produced sophomore album, City Folk.
REVIEW
With their eponymous 2011 debut, the talented US collective James Farm created an attractive formula: fluent contemporary-bop soloing on pop-like tunes, country ballads, and some European-folk mutations, all powered by the thoroughbred rhythm section of drummer Eric Harland and bassist Matt Penman, fronted by sax star Joshua Redman and young pianist Aaron Parks. That album’s improv was stronger than the writing, and to some extent the same applies here – but the soloing is even more compelling, three of the tunes are superb (Penman’s riffy Two Steps, with its languidly slappy Harland backbeat; Parks’ meanderingly funky Otherwise; and Redman’s gently evaporating finale, What Remains), and the tracklist also features memorable vehicles for the saxophonist’s finely nuanced lyrical gifts, notably the quietly propulsive Unknown, with its yearning, pearly-toned soprano line. But it’s Parks and Redman’s enthralling improvisations that give this inviting set its special character.