Speak to Me (Julian Lage album) explained

Speak to Me
Type:studio
Artist:Julian Lage
Cover:Julian Lage - Speak to Me.png
Alt:A black-and-white photograph of Lage wearing a black coat looking at the camera with half his face in shadow
Genre:Jazz
Length:59:00
Label:Blue Note
Producer:Joe Henry
Prev Title:The Layers
Prev Year:2023

Speak to Me is an album by American jazz guitarist Julian Lage, released on March 1, 2024, through Blue Note Records. It received acclaim from critics.

Critical reception

Speak to Me received a score of 91 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Uncut felt that Lage "also plays an agreeably skronky, Jeff Beck-style electric on several tracks, but it's when unplugged that [he] is at his most extraordinary". Timothy Monger of AllMusic wrote that the album "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".

Doug Collette of Glide Magazine stated that Lage "appears here in a variety of settings, each instance of expansive exploration clarifying the broad overall approach Henry helped bring to fruition".[1] Spins Steve Hochman opined that "the pieces are compact, tight, engaging, and, indeed, in many ways song-like. Some are sparklingly electric, some dazzlingly acoustic, some fairly straight [...] But as impressive as his prodigious skills may be, more so is the range of expression and emotion in the playing."[2]

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[3] 21

Notes and References

  1. Julian Lage Balances Intimate Tone & Vast Musical Exploration With Speak to Me (Album Review). Glide Magazine. Collette. Doug. February 29, 2024. March 9, 2024.
  2. Jazz-Guitar Phenom Julian Lage Forges His Own Paths on Speak to Me. Spin. Hochman. Steve. March 8, 2024. March 9, 2024.
  3. Web site: Lista prodaje 11. tjedan 2024.. 4 March 2024. . hr. 22 March 2024. 22 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240322093946/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-11-tjedan-2024/. dead.