Description
Julian Lage – Squint – Vinyl Record
Julian Lage’s Squint, released on June 11, 2021, via Blue Note Records, is a masterclass in modern jazz guitar—an album that balances virtuosity with emotional accessibility, and complexity with clarity. Known for his dazzling technique and improvisational depth, Lage uses Squint not just to showcase his technical brilliance, but to craft melodies and moods that invite listeners in, whether they’re seasoned jazz aficionados or curious newcomers. It’s an album that’s equally heady and heartfelt, pushing forward the tradition of guitar-based jazz while honoring its roots.
This is Lage’s debut album for Blue Note, a label synonymous with jazz legends, and Squint lives up to that lineage. Recorded with his trio—Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King (of The Bad Plus) on drums—the album embraces spontaneity, energy, and restraint in equal measure. While Lage’s prior releases, like Arclight and Modern Lore, explored vintage tones and Americana-infused textures, Squint feels more direct, focused, and contemporary, with occasional nods to rock, blues, and folk embedded within its jazz vocabulary.
The album was recorded in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered live music around the world. That context imbues it with a sense of urgency and vulnerability. There’s a palpable human warmth in the trio’s interplay, a sense of musicians listening to and challenging each other in real time. Tracks like “Boo’s Blues” offer a playful, groove-driven take on bebop and blues, while “Saint Rose” and “Emily” reveal Lage’s lyricism and touch—his ability to make the guitar sing like a voice. The title track, “Squint,” showcases subtle rhythmic shifts and melodic phrasing that feel both intricate and organic.
What sets Squint apart is its refusal to overwhelm. Lage never plays a note just to show what he can do; every phrase feels purposeful. His compositions are structured yet flexible, melodic yet harmonically rich, and always open to interpretation. The trio’s dynamic range is wide, moving from whisper-quiet intimacy to bursts of joyful, percussive energy. The production is clean and warm, allowing each instrument room to breathe.
Critically, Squint was met with acclaim. Reviewers praised Lage for fusing intellectual ambition with melodic accessibility, noting his unique place among today’s jazz musicians: rooted in tradition, but uninterested in nostalgia. It’s an album that invites repeat listening—not just to catch every nuance, but because its tone and emotion are so inviting.
Squint is one of Julian Lage’s most refined and rewarding albums to date. It captures an artist who is as much a storyteller as a technician, bridging genre boundaries while keeping the human element front and center. It’s a must-hear for jazz guitar lovers, and a wonderful entry point for anyone exploring the modern jazz landscape.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Etude
Boo’s Blues
Squint
Saint Rose
Emily
Familiar Flower
Day & Age
Quiet Like A Fuse
Short Form
Twilight Surfer
Call Of The Canyon
