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www.steveminkin.com
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California
Posts: 11,959
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Mike mentioned Sonoma County's Julian Lage above. Here's some more on him:
JULIAN LAGE BIO
Russell Malone had heard of the young prodigy Julian Lage, and let him sit in on an impromptu version of Monk’s "Straight, No Chaser" at the 2000 San Francisco Jazz Festival. He was floored: "You let a kid like this go into your closet and he’ll come out wearing your clothes."
From an early age, Julian has been gathering a great deal of professional attention for his extraordinary guitar work. He was the subject of Mark Becker’s Academy Award® -nominated documentary, "Jules at Eight," and has already, at the age of 16, toured with Gary Burton and Martin Taylor and performed with Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Bobby Hutcherson, Charles Lloyd, and Joe Lovano, among others. Martin Taylor called Lage "my favorite guitar player," while Herbie Hancock, impressed by the depth of the youngster’s playing, remarked, "Julian, you play with heart, mind, and soul. Where’d you find all this so early in life?"
Julian started playing the guitar at five, leaning toward the blues form. When he entered the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he was thrust into the deep well of classical music, though it was there he was introduced to the freedom of jazz.
As Julian notes: "They were kind of elitist, they said you can’t listen to jazz — only classical. I continued to play the blues, but there are only so many variations on a 12-bar blues riff. I knew that I wanted to grow and keep learning, and my teacher at the time was really into jazz, so I gave it a try. I’m not saying that I will do jazz for the rest of my life, but I can still keep growing and learning through it, as it is so complicated, interesting and wonderful. My own style is rooted in jazz, but includes influences that range from the Blues to music of the subcontinent."
Classically trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Julian has also studied at Sonoma State University, Ali Akbar College of Music, and Berklee College of Music in Boston. Lage has taught at the Stanford Jazz Workshops and in a workshop setting at Berklee.
Julian’s first recorded effort is as a featured performer on vibraphonist Gary Burton’s latest album GENERATIONS, to be released in April, 2004 on Concord Records. Lage will also tour as an integral part of the Gary’s Generations Band, a quintet, which includes Makoto Ozone on piano, James Genus on bass and Gary Spencer on Drums. Three of Julian’s original compositions appear on the album, alongside tunes by Pat Metheny, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, and Oscar Peterson. Generations opens with the Lage-penned original "First Impression" and also includes his classical/tango hybrid "Early" and the soulful "The Title Will Follow."
Julian has been extending his creativity by concentrating on composing over the past few years and he likes to "test-drive" these tunes with his own trio and quartet. Playing within this Gary Burton Quintet took his work and musicianship to a deeper level, as Julian noted: "My compositional process for these songs was intuitive; beginning as improvisations and then taking shape thematically and structurally. In the hands of these musicians, I had the great fortune of hearing my pieces become fully developed, and yet take a very personal shape within the Generations band. Rehearsing and recording these tracks was an incredibly enriching experience. Gary, Makoto, James, and Clarence [Penn]; their combined musical brilliance helped to expand my original vision for these pieces."
Before recording even began, Burton had unwittingly influenced Julian with the tune "Early," originally written for Lage's own quartet in the style of an Asian folk song. "Playing with Gary and Makoto a few times exposed me to the music of Astor Piazzolla," Julian noted. "I then understood how ‘Early’ could move toward that feel and began playing the composition as a tango. During the rehearsals for Generations, Gary offered wonderful, subtle suggestions both melodically and harmonically, specifically for the B section of this tune. With the addition of a few notes, Gary helped to enhance the rhythmic feeling and offer a balance to the A sections. Gary and Makoto both are extremely intuitive players of this style, with deep roots and impressive projects devoted to tango. I feel their improvements gracefully set up the solos of the tune. When rehearsing all of my compositions, I always felt that Gary and Makoto were being very true to how I intended the music to sound. Their input was always extremely supportive and respectful."
Gary first encountered the 12-year old Julian while the youngster was performing with a youth ensemble during the 2000 GRAMMY® Awards telecast, suspecting that Julian was more than just an impressive player. A subsequent concert with Herbie Hancock and Lage confirmed Burton's first impression and Gary started making plans for his next album with Julian on guitar. Julian joins the ranks of guitarists Larry Coryell, John Scofield, and Pat Metheny; other famous alumnae of Burton ensembles.
The vibraphonist was particularly impressed by Lage’s skills as improviser. "We had to do various takes on different tunes, and it struck me how none of his solos were alike. He was constantly inventive but without a need to show off," said Burton. "His way of proving himself is not by being flashy, but by discovering the meaning in the music."
This is the root of Lage’s genius. While Julian’s Conservatory background steeped him in technique, he finds his inspiration elsewhere, which deeply informs his playing. "I’m looking for more of a personality thing. The people who inspire me aren’t based on how fast or good they play. Musicians like Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Bill Evans, Ravi Shankar even, just seem so innovative and creative. That really attracts me—people who have such a pure thing going. It’s the energy, instead of technique, which knocks me out every time."
At every performance, whatever the setting and players, Lage looks forward to walking the tightrope of inspiration. "Lots of musicians get into a thing where they just have to have their arrangement of every set tune beforehand," Julian noted, "but for me, I have a bunch of jazz standards in my vocabulary, then leave it really loose and open, and be comfortable with however it flows. Keeping the standards as a groundwork to fall back on, but mainly going with the moment. Have it be both a treat and a learning experience."
Since his appearance on the scene as a brilliant pre-teen with stunning technique, at 16, Julian has developed into a surprisingly mature guitarist. Mandolin player David Grisman summed up the whole Julian Lage experience with his remark. "I was amazed by the depth of his playing, he’s a real improviser who just goes with the flow. He’s not about anything other than making a beautiful musical statement. I wouldn’t call him a kid, he’s an amazing musician, a genius, and a prodigy."
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