Julian Lage and Nels Cline photo by Justin Camerer
Tuesday, January 13, 7pm & 9pm
The Royal Room
Nels Cline and Julian Lage have been garnering a lot of buzz with Room, their guitar duo album released recently on Mack Avenue Records. And not a bit of it is overblown. The unlikely duo’s debut recording is by turns playful, poignant, daunting, contemplative, and challenging – a seemingly effortless performance that combines soulful grooves and angular vamps with lyrical soloing and delicate interplay. It’s an album that, even at some of its most intense moments, projects a special kind of intimacy. And while it comes across beautifully on record, it promises to be exceptionally special live, when the duo perform at the Royal Room, Tuesday, January 13.
At first glance, Cline and Lage would appear to exist at opposite ends of the jazz spectrum, so the fact that duo exists at all might raise a few eyebrows. At 58, Cline is arguably at the height of his career, has a discography longer than his right arm, and is both an icon of the avant-garde and a rock star. (Cline is a member of the rock band Wilco and has been named to top 100 guitarists lists in both Rolling Stone and Spin magazine.) Julian Lage is 26, has released and appeared on a handful albums, and leans toward the traditional. Cline is known for dishing out cranked up, experimental mayhem, and for his inventive use of electronics (a recent write-up in The New Yorker described a performance in which Cline constantly manipulated seventeen effects pedals using both his hands and feet). Lage is known for stunning technique and introspective playing.
Yet, for all of the apparent contrasts, there is common ground between them, namely in the person of Jim Hall. In fact, this album owes more than a small debt of gratitude to the late guitarist. Aside from the fact that both are great admirers of Jim Hall, they also actually met through him – Lage having performed with him a number of times and Cline having been befriended by Hall after playing at a tribute concert held in his honor. And while Hall’s influence may be more apparent in Lage’s playing, Cline has written and spoken extensively of his admiration for Hall, whom he considers one of the greatest improvisers in the history of jazz.
So it only seems fitting that Hall’s spirit haunts a lot of the playing on Room. Part of this is due to the setting: two guys, two guitars, nothing else. Cline leaves the foot pedals at home for this one (I assume he will do the same live). One can also point to occasional gestures that echo Hall’s playing. But, more forcefully (and more importantly), one can feel the presence of Hall’s musical persona: his uncanny ability to achieve maximum impact through minimal effort; the humility that seems to infuse even his boldest gestures. The result of this collaboration is that rare music that lives comfortably in its skin but is not complacent – neither restricted by the limitations of its context nor driven by the need to transcend them. Little wonder then that Cline has referred to the collaboration as one of the most rewarding and challenging of an already pretty well-rewarded musical life.Nels Cline and Julian Lage perform at the Royal Room, Tuesday, January 13, 7pm (all ages) and 9pm (21+). Tickets and more information at http://www.theroyalroomseattle.com/2015-01.php.
