Julian Lage
@ the Cadogan Hall
21 November 2024

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Biography

“Throughout my life, I’ve always responded to music that has a narrative quality to it,” Lage says, explaining that he sees his recent compositions as less a departure than an extension of originals from previous albums, notably his 2021 Blue Note debut Squint. “I believe there is a kind of connective tissue that music has, and it’s important, and it’s fun to cultivate.”

The songs that make up “Speak To Me” have this quality of abundance, along with broadly lyrical melodies that move with serene grace on the acoustic meditations, or reckless savagery on rhythm-forward tracks like the shuffling “76”. Lage wrote them during an unexpected torrent of inspiration in the early months of 2023, writing music at a feverish pace without stopping to think about instrumentation or anything else.

Lage’s writing jag coincided with a long-planned European tour with his trio. The guitarist recalls it as a kind of dream. “I just wrote constantly… Without intending to do it, I got incredibly into composing. I would write music while waiting for a plane, then we’d get to a hotel and I’d immediately start editing. Then I’d write more. Every day was like this.”

Lage says that as the tour got underway, he realized that the performances offered a rare chance to workshop this new material. He allows that some tunes did need it: Though Speak To Me tunes are straightforward (Lage says they each fit on a single page of manuscript paper), many of them rely on intermittent recurring details, like stop-time hits or sudden shifts in tempo, that add suspense. Those needed some rehearsal; over time, the trio’s interplay became an extension of what was written.

“We’ve always done long sound checks,” Lage says, “just to make sure it feels right before a performance. On this tour, because I was writing so much, I’d show up and I’d say, ‘OK, we’ve got 30 songs to go through. And we did it. Dave and Jorge became integral to shaping the songs. We all got into the music beyond the notes, you know, ‘what’s the signature of this tune, what’s it saying”’ That’s one of the things that I love about the record. We were at the 10th iteration of most of these tunes by the time we pressed record.”

“Speak To Me” was recorded quickly, over a few days. Instead of pre-production, Lage and Henry maintained a steady electronic volley of discussion about tone and temperament and mission for months ahead of the sessions. When Lage was frustrated that a song he’d written didn’t align with the others, he’d send a demo to Joe. “I’d say, ‘I’m about to throw this one out, Is it part of the storytelling we’re trying to do with the other pieces?’ Several times I’d tell him I didn’t think a tune belonged. And he’d tell me that they did - he rescued a few tunes that way.”

“That,” Lage continues, “showed me how Joe holds a space for things to happen. Sometimes that means getting everyone out of the way, or protecting the tune from someone getting in the way. It’s like he had a forcefield around the project.”

Lage pauses to marvel at how Henry managed to shape the vibe of Speak To Me without speaking much at all. “Ever so discreetly, he would guide things. He helped me to let go and kept my focus on reinforcing the musical qualities of the songs. He stood with the songs.”