Guitarist Julian Lage reaffirms his prolific creative output with his second album for Blue Note Records View With A Room. Notwithstanding a title too clever by half, it hearkens positively back to the guitarist’s handful of earlier studio records as a solo artist for the Mack Avenue label: like 2016’s Arclight, this one further documents his progression as a composer, musician, and recording artist.
Such admirable status was no doubt at least one of Lage’s goals when he departed the ranks of The Gary Burton Quartet after 2013’s Guided Tour. But in addition to the practical aspects of honing his various technical virtues, the guitarist has also furthered his ability to collaborate with others, an intangible attribute too often overlooked in assessing the value of a musician’s artistry.
To that end, this LP of his was produced by wife and musical partner Margaret Glaspy (they have also done duo concerts together). Meanwhile, the musicians appearing alongside the frontman include long-time accompanists bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King: they were invaluable contributors to Julian’s acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut Squint. Acting as a catalyst within these familiar alliances is the considerable presence of modern six-string wizard Bill Frisell on seven of the ten cuts.
As in his work with The Nels Cline 4, Lage has no hesitation to defer to his guitar partner here. The atmospheric initial seconds of “Tributary”, however, gives way to some equitable interplay that becomes all the more restful for the relaxed support provided by the rhythm section. This four-way action is only the most unhurried sort, its moderate pace accentuated by the unadorned clarity in audio quality courtesy of recordist/mixer Mark Goodell and mastering engineer Randy Merrill.
It all sounds clear enough to discern the multiple harmonics within the peppy “Auditorium.” These scintillating sonics also render readily discernible how each fretboard often allows guitar lines to trail off before reeling out another. Three-to-five-minute tracks populating this record are just long enough to whet the appetite for more of the same or, equally impressively, something quite different: for instance, on “Heart Like A Drum,” the interplay among the core trio is sufficiently dense that it becomes of a piece with its predecessors before it’s over. And that track still provides pacing to these ten selections, as does the slight reggae lilt of “Temple Steps.” “Let Every Room Sing” indeed!
Each of these original Lage compositions lends itself to a natural arrangement for this quartet, so it’s a little surprise each participant’s individual style manifests itself so fully. At the same time, as with the tune co-written with Rodeder, “Echo,” the musicianship often conjures a vivid atmosphere bordering on the cinematic. Meanwhile, there are also numbers here that suggest an implicit narrative: with its layers of chiming guitars, the decidedly upbeat “Chavez” is one of those. And is there a more delicate but authoritative denouement for an LP than “Fairbanks”?
Just as the structure to these tunes is self-evident, so too is there a framework in place for this album overall. In that context, the ‘View With A Room’ phrase makes more sense, literally and figuratively; Julian and company are constantly but quietly shifting their perspective(s) as they play and, in so doing, they alter the perceptions of their listeners. It’s an ever-so-nuanced process that might well also sum up Lage’s approach to his recording career.
