Cline, Nels / Julian Lage - Room
SKU
28-MACK1091.2
It's like the 'Mod Squad' of guitarists: 'One Black - One White' only here it's more like 'one known as a straight ahead guy and the other known as a wildman'. You get to figure out who is who here.
Seriously, Nels is a great player and knows the instrument inside out, as does Julian, so they meet somewhere in between what they are known for and make great music!
"This is a wonderful set (56+ minutes) of Jim Hall-inspired jazz from two players--one, Julian Lage, relatively new on the scene, the other, Nels Cline, well known in guitar circles--who have the ability to combine their individual approaches to jazz guitar into an almost seamless, intuitive blend of playing. The sound is very good--especially with headphones.
The majority of compositions are from Cline, with two tunes solely from Lage. Even playing duets the style of both players is easily heard throughout this album. Cline has a sound that's a bit more angular, sometimes recalling Bill Frisell's angular work, where Lage combines his more melodic style with some edgier playing. Across this album you can hear just how far Lage's playing has progressed from his days with Gary Burton or Fred Hersch.
But don't think this is a modern Jim Hall set of tunes--it's not. A good example is Cline's "The Scent Of Light", with it's open texture and arrangement close to outside jazz guitar playing. For fans of more traditional, straight ahead jazz guitar this will be a bit of a challenge. But this tune is a good example of jazz that rewards the listener the more you hear it. And the same could be said for all the tunes here--they require your full attention to reap the rewards of such deep, intuitive playing.
Listen to "Whispers From Eve", a beautiful tune that only just slips into some abstract playing between Cline and Lage. At times this sounds like something a modern Jim Hall might play--melodic but with an open edge to it. Cline also sounds similar to John Abercrombie's early acoustic playing with Lage echoing Cline in spots. "Blues, Too" (from Cline, dedicated to Hall) is another seemingly non-melodic tune until you go below the surface and hear how closely the duo is listening to each other. This is a beautiful tune--especially with headphones. You may also hear the early duets between Bert Jansch and John Renbourn in spots when both Lage and Cline are playing acoustic guitars. "Freesia/The Bond" is a lengthy impressionistic, beautiful look at both players abilities--a highlight.
If you're looking for straight ahead, traditionally melodic jazz guitar this may not be for you. Cline has been stretching his musical legs for years in bands like his Nels Cline Singers, among others. And Lage has grown immensely from his early days with Burton. He too is exploring other ways of playing jazz guitar, and with Cline they have succeeded in combining newer jazz guitar sounds, with Hall never really too far away from the foundation of what this duo is playing. You just have to listen closely before Hall's approach becomes subtly evident. A good album of contemporary jazz guitar but that requires effort on the part of the listener to fully grasp and enjoy this duo's music."-Stuart Jefferson
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