Lage and his group practice patience

Since appearing in the 1996 Oscar-nominated documentary “Jules at Eight,’’ the prodigiously talented Northern California-raised guitarist has taken his own sweet time researching traditions ancient and modern, from the classical music of Western Europe and Northern India to the American idioms of jazz and bluegrass. By the time vibraphone legend Gary Burton built his Generations Band around the teenage guitarist in 2004, Lage had integrated his far-flung influences into an astonishingly fluent sound as both an improviser and composer.

The high-profile gig with Burton brought offers from four or five labels, but Lage decided to wait before recording his own project. Released in March on EmArcy, “Sounding Point’’ is the work of an artist who dazzles with his depth of feeling rather than technique.

“I’m glad I waited to record my first album, because I was unsure of where adulthood would take me,’’ Lage, 21, explained after a guest performance last month with an organ/drums duo at Coda, a new San Francisco jazz spot. “I wanted to debut with a full-fledged statement, a la Béla Fleck, Gary Burton, and Dave Grisman. They had their stuff together on their first recordings.’’

Lean and boyish, Lage’s youthful mien makes his preternaturally mature sound that much more striking. More than a statement, he delivered a powerfully cohesive group concept unlike anything else on the jazz scene. While three tracks on “Sounding Point’’ feature a virtuosic string trio with banjo star Fleck and mandolin master Chris Thile, what’s most impressive is the synthesis of jazz, classical, and folkloric strains devised by the working band he’ll bring to Scullers on Thursday.

Featuring Seattle saxophonist Ben Roseth, Colombian percussionist Tupac Mantilla, Peruvian bassist Jorge Roeder and Venezuelan cellist Aristides Rivas (who also performs with the Boston Philharmonic), Lage’s quintet has forged a singular sound informed equally by chamber music’s dynamics and jazz’s rhythmic buoyancy.

“It’s somewhere between a traditional folk group and the Wayne Shorter Quartet,’’ Lage said. “I don’t say that to imply we’re at the level of Shorter’s band, but conceptually we’re very into a communal style of playing. I wanted to get away from the idea of the band as a rhythm section backing me. All the timbres really work well together.’’

Rather than using his pieces as a springboard for improvisational flights, Lage sees the group as a vehicle for exploring composition. While his tunes are often intricately constructed, he avoids handing out sheet music, preferring to talk through every piece, with each player devising his own part.

“Hal Crook says the only reason to improvise is to play something that the music needs,’’ said Lage, referring to the veteran trombonist/arranger with whom he studied at Berklee. “Maybe I’ll write 60 percent, and there’s a form and parts. But the other 40 percent is how long do we stay in the section and when do we change? When you take a solo, it’s not to take a solo; it’s to take an opportunity to contribute.’’

Talking to several members of Lage’s group, what comes through most strongly is their deep emotional connection. The musicians share a sense of adventure and playfulness coupled with a seriousness of purpose that’s palpable in performance.

“When we’re about to do a set we all get together backstage,’’ Roeder said. “Julian will say something like, ‘Let’s keep the idea of patience in our head, and hold it as much as you can.’ And we’ll really try to keep that concept in mind. We’re playing the same music, but it comes out different every time with the help of one word.’’

While Lage met Roeder and Roseth before moving from the Santa Rosa to Boston to study at Berklee, the group was really born at New England Conservatory, where all the musicians besides Lage have earned a degree. Pianist and NEC professor Danilo Perez (who follows Lage’s group into Scullers for the weekend) served as kind of an intellectual godfather for the band.

Besides his own group, Lage tours with violinist Mark O’Connor’s Django Reinhardt-inspired Hot Swing Trio. If Lage were simply interested in accelerating his musical career, he would make the move to New York City, where most of his band has relocated.

Instead he plans to stay in the Boston area and deepen his involvement at Berklee. He’s studying to become a practitioner of the Alexander Technique, a movement discipline particularly valuable for musicians.

“I was starting to get some hand problems in Gary Burton’s band, and he mentioned that he had used it,’’ Lage said. “You learn how to use your hands, and transfer a certain clarity of information. It’s not really mystical at all. It’s anatomical. You learn how to get out of your own way.’’