All I can say is what a duo! And what a way to end the FIJM ! As far as I could tell Julian Lage and Christian McBride have not played much together in any official capacity; (an article I found from 2023 suggests they jammed once on a cruise ship), but we should be thankful that the two apparently now live in the same neighborhood in New Jersey, making this collaboration perhaps more likely in the future.
Playing as a duo is necessarily a more exposed formation where audience scrutiny is increased, interplay becomes invaluable, vocabulary is tested, and stamina is paramount. But the guys played it off as if it was nothing, of course. Lage and McBride have such a wealth of chops and musicianship that they intuitively knew when to let a moment breathe, when to push the intensity, and when to show off flurries of triplets or harmonize their melodies with double stops as they slid around the neck of their instruments.
Truly, it was almost as if we were peering in on two buddies playing for themselves. While pointing to the set list, one would often ask the other, “You wanna play that one, or this one?” The two also had very good comedic timing when talking to each other and to the audience, all while they made their way through compositions by Monk, Wayne Shorter, Ellington, Coletrane, and even Lage’s original tunes. “Okay we’ll play that one, but you take the intro,” Lage replied at some point in the set.
At the end of the night, the Festival presented McBride with the Miles Davis award, which is intended to honor an internationally renowned jazz artist and their contribution to the evolution of the genre. I can’t imagine how big his trophy cabinet must be by now, (my thoughts turn to those eleven Grammys he’s racked up), but I can’t think of anyone more deserving. I’m sure he’ll find some space.
Photo by Victor Diaz-Lamich
