If you are to know one name from the world of jazz guitar, Julian Lage would be it. I’ve never witnessed a performer be so at one with their instrument, someone who reacts to the instrument as if it were talking to him, telling him where to go and at times pushing him around. Literally, there were moments in Sunday night’s performance where I feared that the guitar would throw Lage off his seat and onto the persian rug that minimalistically framed him in the centre of the stage. If there’s one thing that I have taken away from that gig (believe me there are way more), it would be that when it comes to the relationship between guitarist and guitar, the guitar is king. While Lage’s expressive virtuosity portrayed control and mastery of the instrument like no other, Sunday night saw a few moments where Lage overstretched for a note or unexpectedly stumbled over a sequence. In these moments, it became acutely clear that the guitar was the boss. In these moments you could tell that Lage has a sort of reverence for this fact and seemed to take joy in these humbling moments.
Kicking off the set, emerging gradually from the hungry silence of Sage 2, was an extended version of a tune from his album World’s Fair, titled ‘Gardens’. The overarching eb and flow of dynamics, timbre, textures and melodic rates perfectly prefaced the remainder of the set. In his own words, this tour was intended as an overdue fulfillment of the tour that never toured, celebrating World’s Fair. As the set developed, many other tunes from the World’s Fair album were intertwined with other pieces from his decade and a half recording career. Adapting each piece to accommodate the solo setting brought each composition closer together, connecting the aesthetic of World’s Fair and other acoustic albums such as Avalon and Mount Royal (compiling bluegrass and jazz infused duets with Chris Eldridge) with the rest of his catalogue. In this particular solo setting, however, the musical freedoms of performing solo showcased the musicality of Julian Lage in its rawest form. His use of rubato and moulding of harmonic structures was nothing short of impressive. Furthermore, the solo setting enabled his approach to counterpoint, sequencing and dissonances to really shine through; you would be forgiven for thinking that the performance was actually a tribute to the late Mick Goodrick.
Whether you are a guitarist or not, you need to get hip to Julian Lage! I have been a distant student of his playing for years and last Sunday night’s performance has reminded me that there is still so much to learn. No one has a relationship as strong as Lage and his Collings guitar (or any guitar for that matter). His playing is emotive yet virtuosic, taking from a large span of practices (folk, jazz, bluegrass). So, go and listen to him! And if you need a pointer of where to start, his finisher from Sunday night is probably the best place; it’s a little tune called ‘Emily’.
Waxing Lyrical 