That link was posted on the Acoustic Guitar Forum. It is a 45-minute workshop on jazz guitar by Julian Lage. It appears to be home recorded by someone attending the workshop. I assume it is okay to post on a messageboard - I asked the OP over on the other forum.
Why am I taking the time to discuss this? It is just an amazing, inside-baseball discussion about how jazz chords and jazz guitar happens. And it is punctuated by Julian Lage, pretty much the best guitarist working today (although my heart belongs to Jeff Beck ;)), exhibiting the most casual playing mastery. It is like that Nike ad where Tiger Woods just casually bounced that golf ball. Over the course of the workshop, he moved through changes that just blow me away.
He starts the workshop (after a speaking intro) with a song that covers a lot of technique territory. And at about 22:55 minutes in, he runs through a quickie chord exercise that boggles my mind. If you dig those bits, you might be interested in the full video. He is really an engaging teacher - at age 23 on this video!!! - even if I didn’t understand 99% of the discussion Oh, and he punctuates his teaching with stories like getting a lesson from Pat Metheny when he (Lage) was 11 years old. Oy.
Hearing the musical level he exists at, how he thinks about music, and what he is capable of doing with a guitar, it just stops me in my tracks. What is always at the front of his playing - whether it is the intro song, or a scale exercise - is the musicality of what he does. He could play the phone book and make it swing
I hope some of you dip your toe into this and enjoy it.
This guy Lage–his artistry is astonishing. I’ve been lucky enough to see him live a couple times, and it felt at times that I was watching a new way of playing guitar. At one point it seemed as if he was pulling thick masses of notes from the middle of his instrument. I can’t find another way to describe it.
He is the musical prodigy who cut a record with Gary Burton at age 14, and I can’t help but wonder if his process is different than others, as if he’s actually speaking a different musical language than other players whose path to virtuosity is more linear.
Because even if it isn’t, it’s still very much worth watching. This guy comes up with chords that you just don’t hear anywhere else.
OK, this must be the one. He just brought up the Metheny lessons at 26 minutes.
I really like this guy’s playing. Lot’s of people have great technique, but this guy is just so musical.
Wonderful video. Gonna put some of those ideas to practice tomorrow when I have guitar in hand. He really is an incredible player. Very cool hearing he studied with Tuck Andress (one of my long time guitar heroes). Thanks a lot for posting!
Yeah, Tuck is amazing. He’s St. Vincent’s uncle, and apparently she toured with them a bit and picked up some of her guitar playing from him. Very cool. And if you can actually apply some of his techniques, I would love to hear you play!
Oh, and he punctuates his teaching with stories like getting a lesson from Pat Metheny when he (Lage) was 11 years old. Oy.