James Farm, the self-titled debut album from the collaborative band featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland, is out today on Nonesuch Records. The album uses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation for its song-based approach to jazz and incorporates the members’ myriad influences: rock, soul, folk, classical, electronica. James Farm is a New York Times Critic's Choice.

The album is "a model of dazzling proficiency as applied to the articulation of a mood," says Times critic Nate Chinen. "The stylistic palette attests to the pull of a conscientiously eclectic record collection. Cohesiveness registers as a guiding impulse rather than as a natural byproduct."

Chinen cites the various group members' familiarity with one another and their shared history, through previous outings, as a reason for the project's success. He also credits the fact that each artist has contributed at least one composition to the album, music that "seem to have been tailored to the setting."

Read the complete review at nytimes.com.

In the UK, the Times of London gives James Farm four stars, calling it Redman's "best record for ages." The Financial Times gives it four stars as well. "The vibe is distinctly urban, though more alt-rock than street," says reviewer Mike Hobart. "The song-form structures are simple with tuneful themes and grungy beats, but once stated, they morph into the contemporary complexities of story-telling linear jazz." Read the review at ft.com.

To pick up a copy of James Farm, with high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the complete album at checkout, head to the Nonesuch Store now.