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Julian Lage: View With A Room

By Dan McClenaghan
October 20, 2022
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View With A Room looks in on two generations of American guitarists; the younger generation is represented by Julian Lage, the leader of the effort, and the older generation by

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell, who sits in on seven of the ten original Lage tunes ("Echo" is co-written by Lage and the set's bassist

" data-original-title="" title="">Jorge Roeder).

Following up on Lage's 2021 Blue Note Records debut, Squint (and let's give the label's boss, Don Was, a big tip of the hat for bringing the label back into the forefront of modern jazz), Lage again employs his blue ribbon trio mates, drummer Jorge Roeder and drummer

Dave King

drums
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave King, along with his front line cohort and guitar partner, Frisell. The two guitarists share a complete lack of pretense in their approach to music, making excellent, rock- solid, stripped-down guitar atmospherics with a light but deft hand on the production side—tunes which could fit into a playlist with the classic old and new guitar hits. The old: Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, Link Wray, the Chantays. The new:

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny,

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson and (of course) Bill Frisell, the finest of American jazz guitarists (and O. K, vote for

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny if you want to; an argument can be made), This is two masters of the six strings sitting down without overplanning (or so it sounds), in the Lage's garage—actually not, though it has that relaxed atmosphere, the ease and fluidity of expression—playing guitar tunes as engaging a 1963's "Pipeline" by the Chantays, or Link Wray's "Rumble" from 1958.

Drummer King and bassist Roeder are mostly understated, serving this intricate, plain-spoken music well, on a set which has a subdued mood from start to finish. The album features a definite American feeling, authentically so, twanging at times, picking out sharp, succinct, delicate points of light at others, with the pair of guitars painting lush, beautiful harmonies. It has the feel of a sophisticated and virtuosic cowboy band.

At this point in his career, Frisell has nothing to prove. Then he sits down and proves his expansive talent anyway. Lage, more than three decades Frisell's junior, does have things to prove, and he continues to go about that task with unwavering success on View With A Room.

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Track Listing

Tributary; Word For Word; Auditorium; Heart Is A Drum; Echo; Chavez; Temple Steps; Castle Park; Let Every Room Sing; Fairbanks.

Personnel

Julian Lage

guitar, electric

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric

Jorge Roeder

bass, acoustic

Dave King

drums

Album information

Title: View With A Room | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

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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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