Juli

Biography

Award-winning guitarist Julian Lage has been widely acclaimed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation. The New York-based musician boasts a long resumé as a desired sideman with artists as diverse as Gary Burton, Taylor Eigsti, John Zorn, Nels Cline, Chris Eldridge, Eric Harland, and Fred Hersch, to name just a few. Equally important is his reputation as a soloist and bandleader. He is equally versed in jazz, classical, pop, and show tunes, and has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via an impeccable technique and a gift for freely associating between styles, tempos, keys, and textures that adds to his limitless improvisational spirit. Sounding Point, his 2009 debut album for Emarcy, featuring Bela Fleck and Chris Thile among his sidemen, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. For Room, his Mack Avenue debut in 2014, he recorded as a duo with Cline, revealing the depth of their respect and camaraderie. It proved so successful that Lage joined Cline’s group for the landmark Lovers in 2016, the same year his own Arclight was released. On the latter, Lage played a Telecaster — a guitar not normally associated with jazz — in a program of modern originals and pre-bop covers with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen. He brought the lineup back together for 2018’s acclaimed Modern Lore, the same year he worked with Cline’s quartet for the Grammy-nominated Currents, Constellations.

Lage was a child prodigy — playing his instrument at the age of five and performing in public a year later. Shortly thereafter, Lage began playing with such renowned artists as Carlos Santana (when he was only eight years old!), Pat Metheny, Kenny Werner, Toots Thielemans, Martin Taylor, and David Grisman, among others, resulting in Lage being the subject of the Academy Award-nominated 1996 documentary film Jules at Eight. In addition to performing, Lage recorded as a duo with Grisman (the 1999 release Dawg Duos), and contributed a fine cover of “In a Sentimental Mood” with Martin Taylor and David Grisman to the 2000 compilation Acoustic Disc: 100% Handmade Music, Vol. 5. Lage also appeared at numerous jazz concerts/festivals and performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards.

In 2009, Lage released his debut solo album, Sounding Point, on Emarcy. The album was widely celebrated as the arrival of a new and authoritative voice on the instrument. This was followed by the concept album Gladwell in 2011. He fronted a quintet that featured bassist Jorge Roeder, tenor saxophonist Dan Blake, cellist Aristides Rivas, and drummer/percussionist Tupac Mantilla. The guitarist switched labels for 2013’s Free Flying. Issued on Palmetto Records, it was recorded in duet with pianist Fred Hersch.

The duo format apparently agreed with Lage, though its focus shifted a bit. In 2014, he issued two such albums. The first was Avalon with guitarist Chris Eldridge. Produced by the Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale, it contained bluegrass, folk, jazz, and classic pop standards; the pair called it a “love letter to the acoustic guitar.” Lage’s second 2014 album, Room, with fellow jazz guitarist Nels Cline, appeared on Mack Avenue. It focused on a range of material, from intricately composed and complex works to free and spontaneous improvisations.

In 2016, Lage released the trio album Arclight with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Produced by Grammy-winning guitarist/songwriter Jesse Harris (Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux), the album featured the single “Nocturne.” A five-song EP, Live in Los Angeles, followed later that year, documenting concert versions of songs from Arclight. In early 2017, Lage reunited with Chris Eldridge for Mount Royal, a second volume of acoustic guitar duets. Later that year, he paired with Gyan Riley for Midsummer Moons, a duet album of ten John Zorn compositions. The following year Lage reassembled his trio with Colley and Wollesen for Modern Lore. Produced by Harris, this set flipped the script on Arclight. Where the previous set — his first electric guitar trio date — found the artist inspired by freewheeling, pre-bop jazz, the latter recording incorporated the rhythmic sensibility and persona of early rock & roll in improvisational settings.

After tours with his own and Cline’s groups, Lage formed a new trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King (Bad Plus) to cut his third Mack Avenue offering, Love Hurts. Whereas Arclight explored the pre-bop and country swing eras and Modern Lore surveyed first wave rock & roll, Love Hurts found the guitarist searching through the music of the late 1960s and early to mid-’70s in various genres for a series of covers — including songs by Roy Orbison, Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Giuffre, and Peter Ivers — in a jazz fusion of his own design. It was released in February 2019.

Releases

Speak To Me - Julian Lage
The Layers - Julian Lage
View With A Room - Julian Lage

Videos

Julian Lage “Vanishing Points” (Live)

SPOTLIGHT

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JULIAN LAGE “SPEAK TO ME”

By Tom Moon Julian Lage’s vivid, wondrously textured new album Speak To Me offers a series of dispatches from his ongoing search for narrative beyond words. Intimate in tone and capacious in intention, the album represents some of the most ambitious music Lage has documented to date. Its originals travel a wide range of American music, and delight in the deliberate crossing of wires between... read more

News

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BLUE NOTE NOMINEES FOR THE 2025 GRAMMY AWARDS

Congratulations to all the Blue Note artists who received nominations for the 2025 GRAMMY Awards! BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM: Bill Frisell Orchestras The guitarist’s trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston collaborates with the Brussels Philharmonic and Umbria Jazz Orchestra on two... read more

JULIAN LAGE SHARES “NOTHING HAPPENS HERE”; NEW SINGLE & LIVE VIDEO OUT NOW

Guitarist Julian Lage has released the fourth song from his vivid and wondrously textured new Blue Note album, Speak To Me, which will be released March 1. The acoustic guitar-based ballad “Nothing Happens Here” features Kris Davis on piano, Patrick Warren on keys, and Levon Henry on saxophone, alongside Dave... read more

Live Dates

Jul 09

Julian Lage

Palau de la Música de València, València Spain

Jul 11

Julian Lage

North Sea Jazz Festival 2025, Rotterdam Netherlands

Jul 13

Julian Lage

Barone Fortress, Šibenik Croatia

Jul 15

Julian Lage

The Exchange, North Shields United Kingdom

Jul 16

Julian Lage

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2025, Edinburgh United Kingdom

Jul 17

Julian Lage

Brudenell Social Club, Leeds United Kingdom

Jul 19

Julian Lage

Molde International Jazz Festival 2025, Molde Norway

Aug 02

Julian Lage

Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder United States

Aug 04

Julian Lage

The State Room, Salt Lake City United States

Aug 06

Julian Lage

The Egyptian Theatre, Boise United States

Aug 08

Julian Lage

The Center For the Arts, Grass Valley United States

Aug 09

Julian Lage

Golden State Theatre, Monterey United States

Aug 10

Julian Lage

Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo United States

Aug 15

Julian Lage

Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Brookfield United States

Oct 03

Julian Lage

Baby Grand, Wilmington United States

Oct 04

Julian Lage

Maryland Hall For the Creative Arts, Annapolis United States

Oct 05

Julian Lage

The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield United States

Oct 09

Julian Lage

The Blue Room, Nashville United States

Oct 17

Julian Lage

The Town Hall, New York United States

Oct 18

Julian Lage

Sanders Theatre, Cambridge United States

Oct 19

Julian Lage

Waldo Theatre, Waldoboro United States

Oct 21

Julian Lage

Tree House Brewing Company - Deerfield, Deerfield United States

Oct 22

Julian Lage

Tree House Brewing Company - Deerfield, Deerfield United States

Nov 02

Julian Lage

JazzOnze+ Festival Lausanne, Lausanne Switzerland

Nov 03

Julian Lage

Elbphilharmonie Kulturcafé, Hamburg Germany

Nov 04

Julian Lage

The Helix, Dublin Ireland

Nov 08

Julian Lage

Rockit Festival 2025, Da Groningen Netherlands

Nov 09

Julian Lage

Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam Netherlands

Nov 10

Julian Lage

Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam Netherlands

Dec 05

Julian Lage

Takasaki City Theatre, Takasaki Japan

Dec 06

Julian Lage

Blue Note Tokyo, Minato Japan

Dec 08

Julian Lage

札幌コンサートホール, 札幌 日本

Dec 10

Julian Lage

すみだトリフォニーホール, 墨田区 日本

Dec 11

Julian Lage

Sankei Hall Breeze, Osaka Japan

Dec 12

Julian Lage

広島クラブクアトロ, 広島市 日本

Dec 12

Julian Lage

広島CLUB QUATTRO, 中区 日本

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