Guitarist and composer
Julian Lage's gift has been apparent since he debuted as a bandleader in the late 2000s and in the ensuing years he's only grown more curious and playful. As a collaborator his projects number in the dozens and include names like
John Zorn,
Dave Douglas,
Gary Burton,
Nels Cline, and even
Yoko Ono. Since signing to
Blue Note in 2021,
Lage has favored an exploratory, textured style that pays homage to a lifetime of influences, often all at once. 2022's
View With a Room -- produced by his wife, singer/songwriter
Margaret Glaspy -- did this within the focused framework of a nimble quartet made up of regular foils
Jorge Roeder (bass) and
Dave King (drums) along with acclaimed guitarist
Bill Frisell.
Speak To Me, his third
Blue Note outing, takes a more varied approach with lyrical arrangements that expand and contract depending on the songs' needs. It also features some of the most relaxed and inspired playing of his career. It begins humbly with "Hymnal," a delicate, fluttering preamble that plays like a warm conversation between
Lage and
Roeder. Its mood is quickly offset by the wonky "Northern Shuffle," the album's loosest and funkiest offering. From there, the songs keep shapeshifting; there are languid folk grooves ("Omission"), abstract jazz improvisations ("South Mountain"), searing bluesy raves (the title track), and a stunning solo acoustic etude ("Myself Around You.") Steering the ship is
Joe Henry, the respected folk and Americana producer and songwriter, whose efforts to keep the songs approachable is subtle but sure-handed. Another interesting addition to
Lage's crew is
Patrick Warren, a veteran keyboardist and composer ubiquitous across rock and film music, but less heard in the jazz world.
Warren's dreamy string adornments and textural contributions on instruments like the dulcitone and Wurlitzer electric piano give the larger ensemble pieces a cinematic character that is sometimes surprising, but welcome. The late album highlight "At It Were" is particularly sumptuous with
Warren joining the regular trio on one of
Lage's most enchanted melodies to date. The ever-shifting tone of
Speak To Me asks the listener to keep up with the
Lage's quirks and mood swings, but the sum of its parts is quite dazzling. ~ Timothy Monger
