Customer Reviews

Early Songs

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I'v been really getting into what I'm going to call the new blood of New York's modern jazz scence & Lage Lund is one of the new voices on guitar that has been making some noise playing extensively as a sideman with the likes of sax men Seamus Blake & Marcus Strickland to name only a few. Here on Early Songs Lage's debut album for the Criss Cross jazz label he is sounding great in a modern postbop with a touch of groove jazz. Joined here by Marcus Strickland on sax, Danny Grisset on piano, Orlando LeFlemming on bass & Kendrick Scott on drums. What a great band, right there you've got many of the rising stars on their instruments. The program is made up of mostly originals with a couple standards in there to keep everyone happy. My favorite track would have't be the lead off tune Scrapyard Orchestra. The rest of the album is also great. The band plays a really nice swinging version of Celia by Bud Powell. It's interesting to note that Lage tends to cover material by pianists because I feel Lund has gotten gold from checking out the voicings of the master pianists like Bill Evans & Bud Powell On Lund's first album Standards Lage covers I Love You Porgy & Bill Evan's masterpiece Turn Out The Stars. On both these tunes he orchestrates the harmony like a pianist & I must say I love the results of his study in this area. Lage's not only great at a single note improv but a master of chords & harmony. I hate to use words like beautiful & organic but they come to mind when hearing these fine jazz musicians make music together. Expertly rendered, highly recommended! I'll let Lage's music speak for itself. Check it out!

fantastic CD. this guy is amazing. the melodies, the improv is fluid and intelligent. hints of old school bop and also modern touches in the song-writing. complex. killer support players. on par with some early Kurt Rosenwinkel. buy it!!