Led by Boston-based guitarist/composer Julian Lage, this ambitious young quintet will be on tour celebrating the March release of his debut recording, Sounding Point, on the storied jazz label, EmArcy Records.
The group also features Ben Roseth (alto and soprano saxophones), Aristides Rivas (cello), Jorge Roeder (bass) and Tupac Mantilla (drums and percussion).
Lage's long-awaited first release as a leader, Sounding Point features music ranging from through-composed original compositions to impromptu solo, duo and trio improvisations to covers of Miles Davis' “All Blues", Neil Hefti's “Lil' Darlin'" and Elliott Smith's “Alameda".
“I’ve been in a position where I could have recorded an album when I was younger," he explains, “but was never in a rush because I wanted to allow these compositions to grow and evolve in their own time. I really wanted to approach recording my first album from a holistic point of view and everything came together. It was a great group effort.”
Only 21 years old, Lage's career already stretches back an astonishing 13 years, when he first earned attention as the titular eight year-old guitar prodigy in the Oscar nominated documentary film, Jules at Eight. Since then, he has studied Dawg music with David Grisman, Indian music at Ali Akbar College of Music and classical music at San Francisco Conservatory.
His discography includes recordings with noted jazz artists Gary Burton, Taylor Eigsti, Nnenna Freelon and Marian McPartland. His own band, the Julian Lage Group, features four like-minded contemporaries he met as a student at Boston's Berklee College of Music, and is joined on Sounding Point by special guests, Eigsti, Nickel Creek mandolin player Chris Thiele and banjo icon Bela Fleck.
2009 Spring Jazz Series schedule:
03/20: Julian Lage Group
03/27: Jimmy Greene Quartet
04/03: Pete Robbins/Mario Pavone/Tyshawn Sorey
04/10: George Colligan Trio
04/17: Wadada Leo Smith's Organic Resonance
04/24: Noah Preminger Quartet
05/01: Michael Attias Quintet
05/08: Peter Brotzmann/Nasheet Waits
05/15: James Carney Group
05/22: Michael Musillami Trio + 3
05/29: Ben Allison & Man Size Safe
06/05: Carl Maguire's Floriculture
06/12: Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher
For more information contact Improvised Communications.
