At 28, New York City-based Julian Lage left the “child prodigy” tag behind long ago and is now one of modern jazz’s most innovative and celebrated guitarists. After exploratory collaborations with Wilco alchemist Nels Cline and bluegrass fixture Chris Eldridge, Lage returns to more familiar territory on Arclight, out last month via Mack Avenue Records. Armed with only a Telecaster and alongside the other two members of his trio—bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen—Lage comfortably feels his way around 1920s-era jazz and swing standards and innovative originals. The guitarist’s folksy yet fiery brand of playing should appeal to casual jazz fans and genre obsessives alike.
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