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.
| Speak to Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 59:00 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Joe Henry | |||
| Julian Lage chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 91/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Uncut | 8/10[3] |
Speak to Me received a score of 91 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[1] 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".[3] 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".[2]
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".[4] Spin's 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."[5]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Julian Lage.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hymnal" | 2:22 |
| 2. | "Northern Shuffle" | 6:05 |
| 3. | "Omission" | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Serenade" | 5:20 |
| 5. | "Myself Around You" | 6:00 |
| 6. | "South Mountain" | 5:14 |
| 7. | "Speak to Me" | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Two and One" | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Vanishing Points" | 4:26 |
| 10. | "Tiburon" | 4:25 |
| 11. | "As It Were" | 5:07 |
| 12. | "76" | 4:38 |
| 13. | "Nothing Happens Here" | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 59:00 | |
Personnel
editMusicians
- Julian Lage – acoustic guitar (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11–13), electric guitar (2, 4, 7, 10)
- Jorge Roeder – double bass (tracks 1–4, 7–13), vibraphone (1), electric bass (3, 6)
- David King – drums (tracks 1–4, 6–12)
- Patrick Warren – keyboards (tracks 1, 2, 6–13), piano (3, 4, 11), strings (8), Wurlitzer electric piano (12, 13), zither (12)
- Kris Davis – piano (tracks 2, 6, 9, 12, 13)
- Levon Henry – tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 7, 12), clarinet (6), alto clarinet (9)
Technical
- Joe Henry – production
- Jeff Powell – mastering
- Kim Rosen – mastering
- Mark Goodell – mixing, engineering
- Julian Lage – arrangements
- Jorge Roeder – arrangements
- Samuel Wahl – engineering assistance
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)[6] | 21 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Speak to Me by Julian Lage Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Monger, Timothy. "Speak to Me – Julian Lage Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "Julian Lage – Speak to Me". Uncut. April 2024. p. 38.
- ^ Collette, Doug (February 29, 2024). "Julian Lage Balances Intimate Tone & Vast Musical Exploration With Speak to Me (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (March 8, 2024). "Jazz-Guitar Phenom Julian Lage Forges His Own Paths on Speak to Me". Spin. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ "Lista prodaje 11. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. March 4, 2024. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.