Julian Lage View With a Room LP

Jazzwise The 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2022 - Rated 13/20!
JazzTimes The Top 40 Jazz Albums of 2022 - Rated 10/40!
Rated One of the Best Jazz Albums of 2022 by The Absolute Sound!

Guitarist Julian Lage ("one of the most dazzling improvisers around" - NY Times) returns with a stunning album, View With a Room, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut, Squint, which the Associated Press called "an exuberant, engaging, endlessly inventive exploration of styles." This time, Lage expands his versatile trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King into a quartet with the addition of fellow guitarist and Blue Note labelmate Bill Frisell. View With a Room presents 10 compelling original compositions by Lage that explore a wide range of guitar sounds and textures with these two distinctive master guitarists seamlessly blending their unique six-string styles.

It is one of those albums that does not betray its secrets readily, and can be returned to time and again when a fresh nuance, an inspired moment of counterpoint or perfectly framed melodic variation reveal themselves to contribute to a broader understanding of the inspired creativity at work here.

...the guitarist sets out to answer a long-held musical question: 'Can you have lush orchestration combined with an organic sense of improvisation and the agility of a small ensemble?'...Whether or not Lage answers his own questions on View with a Room isn't one listeners can readily answer. Instead, we can evaluate the quality of the canny musicianship and tunes on offer while absorbing the abundant pleasure this exercise in collaborative spark provides.

Leading a trio joined on seven tracks by similarly restless guitar explorer Bill Frisell, Lage applies his gorgeous tone, impeccable rhythmic feel, and intriguing note choices to a set of original compositions drawing from jazz, blues, rock, and Americana. The shimmering sounds and interplay with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King (the Bad Plus) grow more entrancing with each listen. The slow-burning 'Echo' and churning, busy 'Word for Word' are among many standout tracks.