Arclight is the fourth solo album by American jazz guitarist Julian Lage, released by Mack Avenue Records on March 11, 2016. Two tracks were given a pre-release: "Nocturne" and "Harlem Blues".
Contents
Background
Arclight was recorded on a Fender Telecaster, which is not generally considered to be a jazz guitar. Lage stated in an interview that "the electric guitar was always so fascinating to me, and my guitar heroes played it ... Stevie Ray Vaughan ... [Eric] Clapton or whatnot—Muddy Waters."
While most of the tunes on the album are originals, there are several "pre-bebop" compositions from "before things got kind of codified and slick and refined", in Lage's words. Lage said he enjoyed such tunes mostly because of the chord changes, which he described as a "slippery approach to basically fundamental harmony".
"Nocturne", one of the pre-release singles, is a 1930s Spike Hughes composition. Lage explained that he liked this tune because "it starts on this minor chord, and. .. it's very hard to find ... songs that weren't major, that weren't happy, that weren't just total dance music".
According to Lage, the chord progression played on "Harlem Blues", a W. C. Handy composition, was inspired by Willard Robison's chord changes for the song, slightly different from Handy's simpler progression.
Reception
Critical reception was generally positive.
Troy Collins of All About Jazz called it a "brisk but bracing affair". Doug Collette of the same publication noted, "Lage proves himself not just a student of his instrument ... but an exceedingly fast learner in the art of studio recording." Collette praised producer Jesse Harris, writing, "Harris deserves extra credit for the size and clarity of the recorded sound here because that introductory track arises from the speaker ... with as much presence as magnitude."
The Irish Times writer Cormac Larkin noted that the album had "echoes of Bill Frisell and particularly Jim Hall", the latter being one of Lage's major influences.
JazzTimes said, "the general mood of the music—call it eclectic Americana with a double shot of whimsy—bring[s] Bill Frisell strongly to mind".
Personnel
Musicians
Julian Lage – electric guitar
Scott Colley – double bass
Kenny Wollesen – drums, vibraphone
Technical
Al Pryor – executive vice president
Gretchen Valade – executive producer
Jesse Harris, Maria Ehrenreich – producer
Will Wakefield – production manager
Ed McEntee, Ted Tuthill – recording engineer
Nick Nagurka – assistant recording engineer
Cian Riordan – mixing
Dan Millice – mastering
Charlie Wagers – art direction, design
Justin Camerer – photography
Willard Robison – music arranger