Lage Lund: Idlewild

An open and revealing format for any artist, the jazz trio offers rewards on many levels. Left in veracious hands, there is a spacious pocket that can be filled by any number of rhythmic and harmonic ideas, not to mention a freedom in melodic phrases which don't have to be constrained by strict chordal structures. On the other hand, it is the mere vulnerability of the format that can challenge all but the most seasoned musicians.

With its inherent challenges and pitfalls, there has nonetheless been a great lineage of guitar trio albums (re: guitar, bass, drums) undertaken over the years. "I don't think there's a shortage of trio records, many of my favorite guitarists have made one, but none of them directly influenced this project," says Norwegian guitarist Lage Lund. Nonetheless, some of his favorites include Jim Hall's It's Nice To Be With You, Kurt Rosenwinkel's East Coast Love Affair, and Peter Bernstein's Monk. Also worth mentioning are two of Pat Metheny's finest works, the trio dates Rejoicing (with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins) and Question and Answer (featuring Dave Holland and Roy Haynes).

Winner of the 2005 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, Lund relocated to Boston after high school and attended Berklee College of Music before settling in New York in 2002. With an enviable resume of sideman experiences, Lund has performed with a wide array of jazz leaders including David Sanchez, Maria Schneider, Seamus Blake, Rodney Green, and Kendrick Scott. As a follow up to his three previous Criss Cross sides, plans for Lund's latest project involved putting his own stamp on the guitar trio format.

"[Producer] Gerry Teekens wanted me to do a trio record, which I hadn't done on Criss Cross before," states Lund. "I love playing trio and the freedom that comes with it. The previous records have been focused on the writing and often had longer forms and intricate parts. I wanted this date to be more relaxed and more like playing a gig. In fact, we basically did the session like a gig; four of the tracks are first takes and the others are second takes."

Indeed, Lund's preceding efforts feature larger groups and programs made up entirely or mostly of the guitarist's own original pieces. There is a shift of focus here on the date at hand and the change results in a refreshing new take on Lund's multifaceted talents. "As a composer, I tend to write on the piano and I am really hearing that as a vital part of the music," explains Lage about his creative muse. "However, when I play standards or music written by other people, I really love being the main chordal voice and the freedom that gives me in giving the harmony certain shapes and colors."

Aiding Lund in his efforts at producing his first trio set for Criss Cross is the fact that he regularly works in this format, having already recorded live with Orlando LeFleming and Marcus Gilmore. Lage has also fronted trio gigs recently in Japan and an upcoming tour of Thailand is in the works for the beginning of 2015. The lineup for Idlewild includes two gentlemen who are no strangers to the trio format either. Bassist Ben Street has recorded with drummer Jim Black on Ben Monder's 2007 date Dust, while drummer Bill Stewart can be heard on Adam Rogers' Time and the Infinite (Criss 1286) and Jonathan Kreisberg's Nine Stories Wide (Criss 1244).

"I've played with Ben for almost ten years now," says Lund. "We first met on a gig with Gretchen Parlato. She just called the two of us. And even though playing duo can sometimes be painful, there was an immediate rapport there. As a comrade in arms, Lund says that Street has "a beautiful warm tone, combined with a rhythmic elasticity." Furthermore, he adds, "His control and creativity, when it comes to harmony and voice leading, is absolute. Lastly, he is a bit of a rogue element in any band, always up to something possibly dangerous, musically speaking. That gives the music a certain edge that can be very exciting and keeps you on your toes at all times."

As for Stewart, Lund first met the iconic drummer when they both took part in Seamus Blake's Way Out Willy (Criss 1288) back in 2006. "I was thrilled and a bit nervous to get to play with someone I'd grown up listening to and that I could recognize in about two seconds," explains the guitarist. "When we first played, I remember hearing echoes of Scofield in my head, because I'd listened to the records they made together on a daily basis for quite a while. Luckily, that quickly subsided and I was just floored by how great it feels to play with Bill. He comes up with these drum parts that sound so unmistakably Stewartish in nature, yet so absolutely perfect. Nothing with Bill is ever contrived or forced."

One of a pair of Lund originals, "Rumspringa" kicks off the set and is titled after a rite of passage in the Amish community. As the guitarist explains, "At the age of 16 or so they release their young into the world to experience all the things they've previously been denied, like chewing gum, driving a car, or even becoming a drug dealer or addict." The sprightly piece revolves around the lively banter between Lund and Stewart, the drummer's use of cymbals being particularly inventive. "I don't like to write things that are too tied into a particular interpretation, but I thought of the title because of the open and bright, major sounding harmony that occasionally has a darker shade to it."

"Come Rain or Shine" and "So In Love" are the type of time-honored trinkets that any respectable jazz musician worth their salt should be able to recite by rote memory. Therein also is the challenge, to make something old sound new again. Lund has no problem making these familiar frameworks his own (he adds an original introduction to "Rain"), although it should be noted that Stewart's role in this successful mission is not to be underestimated. Listen to the various nuances the drummer brings to "So In Love" through a variety of cymbal splashes and fills.

Choosing pieces from a more recent vintage, Lund demonstrates that his own tastes and influences spring from a deep well of knowledge. The ballad showcase "Mirrors" features a wonderful balance of horn-like melodic phrases juxtaposed with lush chordal passages. This Joe Chambers composition first appeared on a 1963 Blue Note session by Bobby Hutcherson that was not released at the time, only to later be part of Freddie Hubbard's classic Breaking Point album. Hutcherson's own "Isn't This My Sound Around Me?" is a bristling flag waver that provides fodder for a typically creative and musical statement from Stewart. "I've been on a huge Bobby Hutcherson binge lately," says Lund in regards to the cherry picking of these numbers. "I thought these tunes would work well on the session as a link between the standards and my tunes."

Another familiar line, Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things" can be all but a bore in less than capable hands. Here, Lage expresses the melody's original intent and then goes on to weave chorus after chorus of storytelling splendor. Stewart is anything but trite in his actively engaged support. Notice how the drummer uses his toms to fill space in ways that do not rely on familiar patterns. This is what musical drumming is all about.

Although he only got the chance to record one album as a leader, the late pianist Kenny Kirkland made the most of his debut LP and it continues to offer inspiration to those in the know, as it does here in the guise of "Chance." Lund, who adds his own commencement, is faithful to the original in tempo and spirit. "I've always been a huge fan of Kenny's and his solo record is something I keep coming back to time and again."

Street's robust and rounded tone ushers in "Good Morning Heartache," an endearing performance of eloquence and class. By contrast, John Coltrane's "Straight Street" is a real flag waver that finds Lund voraciously eating up the changes. As mentioned earlier in regards to Stewart, the guitarist does not rely on rote melodic or rhythmic patterns in the process. His is a form of true spontaneous improvisation that is in tune with the music and musicians around him.

The title track happens to be Lage's other original contribution, an introspective number filled with Stewart's cymbal flourishes and influenced by the works of Brazilian guitarist and composer Guinga. Largely considered one of his country's most important songwriters, he was already 40 years old when he made his first albums under the guidance of Ivan Lins back in the early '90s. "I've been obsessed with Guinga's music over the last two years," says Lund, "so I guess that was bound to show up at some point."

With repeated listening, it should become clear as to how Lund manages to make this trio sound like an even larger ensemble, just by way of his unique methodology to this challenging format. "In general, I like to approach playing trio as if I was playing two voices. So I am thinking like tenor and trumpet, rather than a pianistic style with left and right hand separation between chords and lines."

Summing up this new and insightful chapter in his recorded career, Lund says, "I love the combination of Ben and Bill and I'm thrilled to be able to keep making records with them." Let's hope a sequel is already in the works.

Liner Notes copyright © 2024 C. Andrew Hovan.

Idlewild can be purchased here.

Contact C. Andrew Hovan at All About Jazz.
An avid audiophile and music collector, Chris Hovan is a Cleveland-based writer / photographer / musician.

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