Modern Lore / Julian Lage
Label: MACK AVENUE Catalog: 67320311312 Format: CD Personnel: Julian Lage: guitars; Scott Colley: bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums, vibraphone; Tyler Chester: keyboards; Jesse Harris: maracas, casio, acoustic guitar.Track Listing: The Ramble; Atlantic Limited; General Thunder; Roger The Dodger; Wordsmith; Splendor Riot; Revelry; Look Book; Whatever You Say, Henry; Earth Science; Pantheon. As a young guitar prodigy, Julian Lage often went to gigs at the Bay Area jazz club Yoshi's. There he would sit up front, put his head on stage and watch admiringly. Backing his early heroes at Yoshi's were two musicians who now form a trio with Lage. Double bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen performed on Lage's 2016 album Arclight (Mack Avenue Records) to wide acclaim. The threesome reunites here for Modern Lore, with Lage's friend and collaborator Jesse Harris involved again.Nowadays it's others who lean close to the stage and gaze enrapt at Lage. Collusions with the likes of Chris Eldridge and Nels Cline have seen him mixing bluegrass, pop and jazz, with a hint of classical, even avant-garde. But whereas Arclight found Lage delving into early twentieth century tunes, Modern Lore seeks out the very foundations of rock music and digs deep. The acoustic guitar having been his early tool of choice, Lage indulges a love of the Telecaster here, like he did on Arclight. The sound has an unfussy clarity, as if Lage is playing your living room with his Fender and a home-made amp. The work of Chicago-based Bill MacKay often comes to mind when Lage finds a similar purity of melody. The two also share a style of lucid strumming, where each crotchet or quaver really counts for something. ~ Gareth Thompson, All About Jazz Price: $25.98 |