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...he remains a tonal traditionalist—an aspect reinforced on Arclight, the first recording to feature him exclusively playing a solid body electric guitar. Despite the overdriven twang of his Fender Telecaster, he continues to eschew unnecessary efx that would diminish the clarity of his crystalline cadences.
Julian Lage: "Arclight" (Mack Avenue): Fine jazz guitarists are hardly in short supply, but Lage stands out for the clarity of his thought, the sleekness of his sound and the range of his expression. Leading a trio with comparably agile work from drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Scott Colley, Lage mixes originals with historical repertoire.
Throughout Lage’s sense of melody and his improvisational flair are on display, but one of the most striking aspects of the recording is his pristine guitar tone and the fluidity of his playing. His improvisational technique is free but purposeful too. He ever loses sight of where he’s headed, linking these different eras of American music rather magically and seamlessly.
Jazz is more international, more diverse and, in a lot of ways, more influential than it has been since its heyday.
The album is a rhythmic journey. Each track contains something different, sometimes drastically so; but the twang of his Telecaster remains a constant that is pleasing to listen to. Lage really loves to play that electric guitar.
GUITARIST JULIAN LAGE HAS SPENT THE GREATER PART OF HIS CAREER FOCUSING ON DEEP ROOTED RELATIONSHIPS WITH ARTISTS IN ORDER TO CREATE A PERSONAL BODY OF WORK.
Julian Lage is the winner of the Paul Acket Award 2019. This prize is granted annually by the festival and presented to an artist deserving wider recognition for their extraordinary musicianship.
Julian Lage’s Arclight, released in April, marked an invigorating new direction for the still-young guitarist. Joined by Scott Colley on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums (the same pair Lage had seen as a child backing Jim Hall), Lage cranked out a spirited but tightly edited set of 11 tunes, ranging from covers of obscure 1930s gems to free-jazz originals
Julian Lage is a tremendously talented acoustic guitarist and by all accounts a polite, mild mannered kind of guy. Though this might not be the whole story. The cover picture of his album is of twenty used matches, which is thought to refer to his worries of becoming burnt-out after being hailed as a child prodigy then burdened with the lofty expectations of his admirers.
When he takes the lead, as he does on Modern Lore his new trio album recorded with drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Scott Colley, Julian Lage gives the many sides of his musical personality a turn in the spotlight.
"This music, as with the entire body of work by the guitarist to whom it's credited, holds the potential for consistently rewarding listening over an unusually extended period of time."
No chord seems beyond Lage, no cadence too oblique not to be used. Arclight shows Lage as a bright shining star in today’s jazz firmament. Well worth checking out.
If you are hearing aspects of Chet Atkins and Les Paul throughout the course of Arclight, that’s because Lage and his mind-blowing rhythm section of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen pay homage to the guys Chester and Lester were influenced by like Merle Travis and George Barnes, crafting a mood that is equally in step and out of time to brilliant effect.
Prodigal US guitarist Julian Lage has been almost exclusively associated with the acoustic version of his instrument since he burst onto the scene at the tender age of eight. And anyone who has heard his jaw-dropping virtuosity since would wonder if he had anything more to prove.