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Julian Lage: Notes With The Weight Of Words

By Leo Sidran | The Third Story
June 14, 2021
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When

Julian Lage

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Julian Lage plays guitar, it's hard not to get swept up in it. His relationship with the instrument is natural and contagious. Maybe that's because it's been with him for most of his life. When he was just 8 years old, Julian was the subject of an Academy Award nominated documentary film called Jules at Eight. Before he entered his teens, he had already performed with

Carlos Santana

guitar
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Carlos Santana and jazz vibraphonist

Gary Burton

vibraphone
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Burton. While still in high school he was a faculty member of the Stanford Jazz Workshop. So he was undoubtedly a child prodigy.

Today, Lage plays like someone in love. Despite his productive personal relationship with singer-songwriter

Margaret Glaspy

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Margaret Glaspy (she co-produces his new record, Squint along with

Armand Hirsch

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Armand Hirsch), perhaps the deepest love affair of his life may in fact be with the guitar itself.

We talked recently about his new record—his first on Blue Note, which he recorded with drummer

Dave King

drums
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave King and bassist

Jorge Roeder

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Jorge Roeder. He told me his story, how he traversed those murky waters of youthful exceptionalism and came out on the other side with more sensitivity, to the music, to his audience, and to himself. During the course of the conversation, Julian also described the connection between the artist and the audience and how he thinks about notes as having the weight of speech. "I want it to feel like I'm talking to you when I play."

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Julian Lage Concerts

Oct 4 Sat

Julian Lage

Maryland Hall For The Creative Arts
Annapolis, MD

Oct 5 Sun

Julian Lage

Ridgefield Playhouse
Ridgefield, CT

Oct 18 Sat

Julian Lage

Sanders Theatre
Cambridge, MA

Nov 3 Mon

Julian Lage

Elbphilharmonie Kulturcafé
Hamburg, Germany

Nov 4 Tue

Julian Lage

The Helix
Dublin, Ireland

Nov 9 Sun

Julian Lage

Het Concertgebouw
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Jan 31 Sat

Julian Lage

Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Brookfield, WI

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