Julian Lage Quartet

About

“One of jazz’s breezier virtuosos, possessed of an unflappable technical facility and a seemingly boundless curiosity” ( The New York Times ), guitarist and former SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Julian Lage returns with original music from his newest Blue Note album Scenes from Above with his superlative quartet including organ star John Medeski , bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Kenny Wollesen . The acclaimed Mexican singer and composer Laura Itandehui opens the show. Transcending his prodigious beginnings — which include being the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary film Jules at Eight , a GRAMMY Awards performance at 13, and faculty status at the Stanford Jazz Workshop at 15 – Santa Rosa-born guitarist Julian Lage has emerged as a stunningly accomplished creative force and savvy bandleader. Making his recording debut in duet with bluegrass luminary David Grisman, Lage demonstrated deep maturity and intellectual acuity from the start, impressing jazz vibraphone innovator and discerning talent scout Gary Burton, who recruited the then 16-year-old for his quartet in 2004. Lage’s trajectory has been linear since then, embracing jazz, pop, country, bluegrass, and acoustic folk with equal élan. His fifth Blue Note release, 2026’s Scenes from Above , marks the debut of this new quartet and a set of original compositions specifically written with this formidable set of all-stars in mind. With “a distinctive voice in contemporary Latin music” ( World Music Central ), Oaxaca native, singer and composer Laura Itandehui kicks off the night with her signature approach, blending the musical traditions of her Latin American roots with a deep foundation in jazz.