Julian Lage
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When it comes to jazz virtuoso Julian Lage, you\\u2019d be hard-pressed to find an electric guitarist who uses less gear. \\u201cAny time I\\u2019ve [used too much equipment], there\\u2019s an awkwardness where I\\u2019m still grappling with the fact that I play here,\\u201d he says, gesturing to his guitar, then gesturing to his amp, \\u201cbut the sound comes out there.\\u201d He continues, \\u201cIt sounds like a joke, but it\\u2019s been a struggle for me. Any time there\\u2019s layers or filters or anything, I feel dissociated.\\u201d Of course, Lage\\u2019s rig, which buoys his clean, no-frills tone, makes sense for a musician like himself\\u2014whose playing often comes across fluidly, and as gently as his personality.
For Lage, that fluidity stems from his conception of music as a language. \\u201cI think that the way people speak is often more unfettered,\\u201d Lage told Premier Guitar in 2021. \\u201cThere might not be an obvious correlation between the way people speak in a lecture and the notes on the guitar. But it\'s just a little stretch of the imagination to see that those are pitches, those are rhythms, those are phrases."
On View with a Room, Lage\\u2019s second release on the hallowed Blue Note Records, he\\u2019s offering a fresh, bold continuation of the conversation he\\u2019s created over the years. The album features his latest ensemble, made up of himself, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Dave King\\u2014but this time, he\\u2019s added the legendary Bill Frisell. Together, the musicians help to expand Lage\\u2019s body of work with performances of 10 of his original compositions.
While on tour for the album, Lage invited PG\\u2019s John Bohlinger to the soundcheck before his show at Brooklyn Bowl inn Nashville to share his insights into why he likes a straightforward rig and \\u201chonest\\u201d tone. In the interview, Lage elaborates on his three main guitars (his Nachocaster, Collings signature, and \\u201955 Les Paul), explains why he prefers low volume on his amps, and offers a remarkably brief tour of his pedalboard.
Brought to you by D\\u2019Addario XS Strings.
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