Avalon is an album by guitarists Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge, released in 2014. The album was produced and engineered by Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids and mastered by Dan Millice.Good Guitar, Alec Wilkinson - The New Yorker It was recorded at the Avalon theatre in Easton, Maryland. On the album Lage plays a 000-18 Martin Guitar from 1939, and Eldridge plays a Martin D-18 from 1937. Lage and Eldridge have described the album as a “love letter to the acoustic guitar.”Hear Julian Lage And Chris Eldridge With Gonzalo Bergara From The Crown Guitar Festival - Montana Public Radio
This is the first full-length album that Lage and Eldridge have released together, but they previously put out an EP entitled "Close to Picture" which consisted of original compositions. Avalon has both covers and original songs, and includes instrumentals as well as tracks with vocals by Eldridge.Julian Lage and Punch Brothers' Chris Eldridge to Release 'Avalon' on Oct 7 - Guitar World Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge: Avalon - Relix Overlooked Experimental Records 2014 - Pitchfork JULIAN LAGE AND CHRIS ELDRIDGE PROVIDE 'STEADY PROOF' OF THEIR COLLECTIVE ACOUSTIC PROWESS - The Bluegrass Situation Guitarists Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge Pick Some Winners - San Francisco Classical Voice Julian Lage Trio - Carnegie Hall Spinnaker Radio’s Favorite Albums of 2014 - Spinnaker Lage is considered to be a jazz guitarist while Eldridge comes from a bluegrass background,Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge: a guitar duo built on friendship - LexGo Guitarist Julian Lage's Road From Child Prodigy to Seasoned Pro - Rolling Stone but the album spans a variety of genres.Guitarist Julian Lage brings jazz chops to Americana for Bigfork concert - Missoulian Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge - Mount Royal Bone Collector video from Julian & Chris Signs of life: These artistic events will bloom through the winter
Reception Guitar World said "Avalon is an unfiltered document of the pair’s live set, a mix of originals and covers that illustrate the breadth of the American songbook as Lage and Eldridge perceive it, incorporating bluegrass, country, gospel, old-time music and jazz. There was no playback, no overdubs, just the duo’s eloquent, in-the-moment musical repartee".
Pitchfork called it "a sophisticated guitar LP that doesn’t sound sophisticated, an effort that folds its intense erudition deep beneath its lovely surface".Cura, G. H. Pitchfork: Chris Eldridge and Julian Lage: Anyone Can Learn Guitar, accessed May 3, 2019
Track listing "Stone Cross" (Julian Lage) – 3:33 "Mean Mother Blues" (John Starling) – 3:44 "Keep Me from Blowing Away" (Paul Craft) – 3:52 "Whiskey Before Breakfast" (Traditional) – 3:42 "Open up the Window, Noah" (Traditional) – 3:01 "Wilson's Waltz" (Lage) – 9:04 "Someone to Watch over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:18 "Ginseng Sullivan" (Norman Blake) – 3:33 "Steady Proof" (Lage) – 2:59 "Any Old Time" (Jimmie Rodgers) – 3:42 "Butter and Eggs" (Margaret Glaspy) – 3:24
Personnel Chris Eldridge – guitar, vocals Julian Lage – guitar Kenneth Pattengale – engineering, production Dan Millice – mastering
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