una chitarra mostruosa e il gusto fuori dalle classificazioni Wes Montgomery - SO Much Guitar! (1961) 1. Twisted Blues (Wes Montgomery) -- 00:00 2. Cotton Tail (Duke Ellington) -- 05:45 3. I Wish I Knew (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) -- 09:28 4. Im Just a Lucky So-and-So (Ellington, Mack David) -- 14:59 5. Repetition (Neal Hefti) -- 20:58 6. Somethin Like Bags (Montgomery) -- 24:58 7. While Were Young (Morty Palitz, Alec Wilder) -- 29:49 8. One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)-- 32:08 Wes Montgomery – guitar Ron Carter – bass Lex Humphries – drums Ray Barretto – conga Hank Jones – piano So Much Guitar is the sixth album by American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1961. It has been reissued by Original Jazz Classics. All the tracks are available on the Wes Montgomery compilation CD The Complete Riverside Recordings. Reception AllMusic critic Scott Yanow called the album one of Wes Montgomerys finest recordings... All eight performances are memorable in their own way[2] PopMatters journalist Neil Kelly wrote So Much Guitar! is Montgomery at his most comfortably virile ... one of the finest recordings you’ll ever put in your player. Segnalazione di Luca Conti (musicajazz) Torna, in versione ottimamente rimasterizzata, uno dei capolavori della chitarra jazz: “So Much Guitar” di Wes Montgomery, inciso nell’agosto 1961 per la Riverside assieme a Hank Jones (p.), Ron Carter (cb.), Lex Humphries (batt.) e Ray Barretto (perc.). Nessuno può permettersi di non avere in casa questo disco e tanto più adesso, con l’attuale edizione integrata da un altro disco del chitarrista di Indianapolis, “The Montgomery Brothers In Canada”, inciso per la Fantasy da Wes giusto pochi mesi prima in un club di Vancouver dopo che il pubblico aveva lasciato la sala (o almeno così pare; non lo sapremo mai) assieme ai suoi fratelli, il vibrafonista Buddy e il bassista Monk, più Paul Humphrey alla batteria. Il cd è distribuito in Italia da Universal. Rewiew by Neil Kelly (popmatters) (4 stars) I’ve been here before, many times. So Much Guitar! was part of my guitar curriculum in college, so I studied it profusely, clumsily breaking down each note to make an attempt at reassembly though my inexperienced fingers, but never capturing the feel or spirit I heard. I was just connecting the dots, regretfully missing out on what I’m experiencing now. Until this point, I never had an opportunity to fully appreciate this album as a carefully crafted work of art. Osmosis through repetitive casual listens doesn’t really apply to jazz, and the only way to absorb this level of mastery is to dedicate your time and attention to the album—which is exactly what So Much Guitar!, deserves. Such is also true for Wes Montgomery’s entire career. Historically, the significance of this recording in the Montgomery timeline is substantial. The combination of Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Hank Jones, and Lex Humphries proved to be an ideal canvas for Montgomery’s paintings. The light Latin feel brought to the project via Barretto’s superb conga work would be revisited time and again as part of a future formula at the end of his catalog that’s equally loved and despised. Here’s that equatorial flavor presented with Montgomery at full tilt, long before the Creed Taylor / Verve / A&M ‘octave’ years. The interaction between Carter’s bass and Humphries’ drums is mastery at its most playful, perfectly pocketed underneath Montgomery and Jones. The addition of Barretto is just bonus, giving So Much Guitar! as a whole as well as the recorded career of Wes Montgomery to that point something it desperately needed. Spice. For some reason, the powers that be decided to add another entire album to the track lineup on So Much Guitar!. Originally issued as The Montgomery Brothers in Canada, tracks nine through sixteen on this latest issue changes the instrumentation, and the mood felt on the first half of the disc. That spice I referred to on the set with Barretto is missed when Canada starts, though the Montgomery Brothers LP inclusion here is welcomed. Both albums deserve to stand alone, but I must admit it’s a hell of a bonus. Wes Montgomery bogo ... I can dig it. There’s so many things that go into the careful construction of a good jazz album. A lot of music buffs, including myself, consider the output from jazz artists of the ‘50s and ‘60s to be the finest in the era of album invention. The technology in recording equipment had hit its first pinnacle by 1953, bringing you into the room with the artist(s) to experience the melding of tones, the vibrating of reeds, the breaths during the rests. The long-player format allowed for more improvisation and a quieter platform in reproduction, bringing nuance and dynamics into the recordings. All of this gave ample room for the artists to shine brightly, or fall flat on their face if they weren’t at the top of their game. So, equipment advancements and good engineering skills set the bar high for all that dared to step foot into a studio ... which leads to the final and most important ingredient: Inspirational performances. Tape don’t lie. Neither does a good recording engineer. By the time 1961 rolled around, the majority of players in the jazz recording industry (and I include label owners, engineers, and general muses alike in this lumping) had reached this apex of control and finesse in the studio, and cruised right along for years until it was time to deconstruct or destruct, whichever came first. Luckily for us, Wes Montgomery’s mastery only had the chance to mellowly deconstruct a bit before his untimely death in ‘68. A little de-invention, maybe, but no destruction. Even if the subtle octaving melodies of Montgomery’s latter catalog leave you unimpressed, admitting to his masterful delivery no matter the setting is a smart allegiance. Yes, his earlier workouts are far superior to the Creed Taylor years, and So Much Guitar! is Montgomery at his most comfortably virile ... one of the finest recordings you’ll ever put in your player. Recensione da uxo (DeBaser) (5 stars) di altro lavoro Wes Montgomery The Incredible Jazz Guitar ****** 6 stelle. Un approccio per me tardivo. Wes è un genio, un fine innovatore che ha seminato pagine magiche di incantevole musica graffiante. Ecco che mi decido ad affrontare di persona uno dei padri del jazz moderno, quello anni sessanta, che ha spinto in una direzione precisa centinaia di artisti rapiti dal senso della musica jazz. Ascoltarlo non vuol dire solo sentirsi riempiti di sensazioni indescrivibili, ma cosparge di senso di gratitudine dovuto alla bellezza del suono, o come diceva il mio ex maestro Marino, un inno al colore della musica jazz. Inciso nel 1960 The incredibile Jazz Guitar è, perdonate la sfacciataggine, tra i migliori dischi jazz di sempre. 8 pezzi purissimi, efficaci, profondi come non mai (mi riservo di spiegare più tardi e con calma il perché). Il titolo è emblematico. Incredibile è infatti il suono che Wes riusciva a dare alla sua 6 corde. Incredibile perché imparò completamente da autodidatta. Un operaio che innamoratosi del sound di un altro grandissimo chitarrista, Charlie Christian, decise di acquistare una chitarra ed un amplificatore per tentare di riprodurre tutto quello che lo aveva colpito. Wes aveva solo 19 anni e passava il giorno in officina, la notte con la chiatarra tra le mani. Il rumore dellelettrica disturbava i vicini e per risolvere lo spiacevole inconveniente abbandonò il plettro e si mise ad usare il pollice. Ed ecco come un apparente difetto stilistico, si trasformò in una caratteristica orginale che divenne punto di forza. Moltissimi chitarristi tentarono (e tentano) di imitarlo (guarda caso tra questi cè anche il mio idolo Metheny, che si dice sia stato fortemente ispirato dal genio di Montgomery). Torniamo alle sonorità rotonde e poderose che fanno dellinsieme un pacchetto affascinante e spettacoloso. Da orgasmo per esempio Four On Six. Non scherzo: questo pezzo è un prodotto di spessore geniale che crea la giusta tensione emotiva, emana vibrazioni aliene e aziona le sinapsi. Gustatevi lincedere del tema iniziale che vi farà sobbalzare da una nota allaltra come se foste in una situazione di scomoda e furtiva riflessione decisiva. Un aspetto facile da identificare e non meno imitato del suo stile è il frequente uso di passaggi in ottava a ridosso di passaggi di note legate e di accordi, sia nelle esposizioni, che nelle improvvisazioni (come in D-natural Blues, Polka Doots e And Moonbeams, parte più corposa dellalbum, ma senza una minima caduta di stile ed intento emotivo). Il primo disco, Wes lo incise a 34 anni. Il secondo, di cui sto scrivendo , pochi mesi dopo. Il successo di critica e pubblico arrivò, finalemente e giustamente, caldo e proficuo. Wes non appariva solo come innovatore tecnico, ma esprimeva senso melodico (gustatevi il brano di apertura Airegin assolutamente tra i miei preferiti), lirismo e swing trascinante. La sua propensione al blues era allaltezza di qualsiasi possibile rivale, e in qualche modo, rendeva più accessibile il taglio moderno delle sue doti armoniche. Tornando ad Airegin, scritta da Sonny Rollins (ottimo e ben assortito piano di Tommy Flanagan, in tutte le parti), ascoltate la perfetta improvvisazione che vi accompagnerà (vi sentirete scafati del jazz) senza crearvi la minima perplessità , ascoltate luso delle ottave che sembrano veri riff orchestrali e completamente estranea a qualsiasi abbellimento (semplice ed efficace). Non sto esagerando. Mentre ascolterete questi pezzi vi accorgerete che dietro questo sound cè un senso di spassoso e gioioso senso del vivere. La chitarra diventa unappendice che fa da propulsore alle sensazioni di armonia, gioia, voglia di giocare e divertirsi. Chiude la soffice Gone With The Wind che appare come un sognante quadro impressionista e rende il massimo col suo suono pieno e sereno.In più il pezzo richiama a brani scritti successivamente ed ha il sapore di standard assoluto. Wes morì a 43 anni, con centinaia di incisioni in solo 9 anni. Non posso dilungarmi oltre, ma voglio chiudere con un appello: trovate il modo di averlo. È impensabile privarsi di un simile lavoro. Cameo di Piero Scaruffi Le melodie lineari e il timbro caldo della chitarra di Wes Montgomery (Indianapolis, 1923) furono quasi lantitesi dell’estetica bebop. Montgomery non aveva né la dinamica di Charlie Christian, né lambizione di Kenny Burrell. La brevità delle sue rare composizioni andava dritta al punto: Jingles, da The Wes Montgomery Trio (ottobre 1959), West Coast Blues e Four on Six su The Incredible Jazz Guitar (gennaio 1960) in quartetto col pianista Tommy Flanagan, Twisted Blues da So Much Guitar (agosto 1961) in quintetto con Hank Jones (piano), Ron Carter (contrabbasso) e Ray Barretto (congas), Blues Riff da Portrait (ottobre 1963). Nel 1964 iniziò a registrare con orchestre arrangiate da Don Sebesky e finì col suonare facili musiche di sottofondo. Montgomery morì nel 1968. Rewiew by C. MICHAEL BAILEY (allaboutjazz) Wes Montgomerys So Much Guitar! continues the latest round of re-releases/re-masters from the Concord Music Group, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Riverside Records. So Much Guitar! follows the re-releases of singer and trumpeter Chet Bakers Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe (OJC/Riverside, 1959/2013) and Mulligan Meets Monk (OJC/Riverside, 1957/2013) in the labels birthday celebration. Montgomery enjoyed a productive stay at Riverside between 1958 and 1963, making many of his most memorable recordings. So Much Guitar! falls between the release of 1960s breakthrough recording The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery and 1961s Wes and Friends. In total, Montgomery would records a total of 18 long-playing albums for Riverside before moving to Verve in 1964. The re-release of So Much Guitar! includes all of that original release plus all of the Montgomery Brothers 1961 Fantasy recording The Montgomery Brothers In Canada. The original tapes of the So Much Guitar! session were accidently erased, leaving no alternate takes to consider for inclusion. The decision to add the live material turns out to be a big plus, offering the listener the comparison of Montgomery with two vastly different rhythm sections. So Much Guitar! pits Montgomery against a young, but accomplished Ron Carter on bass with pianist Hank Jones and percussionists Lex Humphries and Ray Barretto. The set features a well-behaved and swinging collections of standards and originals where Montgomery shows off his octave playing. Jones is perfectly tasteful while Carter reveals his perfect time that would guide Miles Daviss second great quintet just five years later. The inclusion of Barretto on congas adds a layer of rhythmic sophistication that fills out the musical background properly. The band is most effective on Montgomerys Twisted Blues and the minor- key blues Something Like Bags. The live material was recorded at The Cellar in Vancouver in the Spring of 1961. Montgomery is joined by brothers bassist Monk Montgomery and vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery. Paul Humphrey plays the drums. This is a quartet with the piano replaced by the vibes. The effect is an overall softening of the bands swing. Claude Thornhills iconic Snowfall is given a post-modern treatment that remains true to the such textures of the original while exposing the pieces ribs. It is a showcase for Buddy Montgomery. The vibes-guitar axis proved to be an improvisatory playground for the brothers, who were tethered to the beat by another brother. On Angel Eyes the approach was most effective, as well as on On Green Dolphin Street. The re-issued So Much Guitar! is a great set all around. Tracks: Twisted Blues; Cotton Tail; I Wish I Knew; Im Just A Lucky So And So; Repetition; Something Like Bags; While Were Young; One More For My Baby; Jeannine; Snowfall; Angel Eyes; Barbados; This Love Of Mine; On Green Dolphin Street; You Dont Know What Love Is; Beaux Arts. Personnel: Wes Montgomery: guitar; Hank Jones: piano (1-8); Buddy Montgomery: vibraphone (9-16); Ron Carter: bass (1-8); Monk Montgomery: bass (9-16); Lex Humphries: drums (1-8): Ray Barretto: congas (1-8); Paul Humphrey: drums (9-16). Rewiew by David Bowling (seattlepi) Music Review: Wes Montgomery - So Much Guitar! (Remastered) So Much Guitar!, by Wes Montgomery, is one of five new titles released by Concord Music Group in their ongoing Original Jazz Classics Remasters series. Wes Montgomery (1923-1968) was one of the most innovative jazz guitarists of the 20th century. His use of the guitar as the main instrument, plus his technique of picking the strings with his thumb to create a unique style, and his ability to expand his sound from the exploration of single notes helped to expand the guitars place in jazz music. His recording period can be divided into three distinct periods. His time with Riverside Records, 1959-1964, was his most prolific and productive and found him leading small groups. His period with Verve, 1964-1966, found him in basically an orchestral setting, complete with strings and brass. Just prior to his death, he signed with A&M and moved in a very commercial pop direction. This latest reissue is wisely taken from his Riverside period as So Much Guitar! is one of the better, if underrated, albums of his career. When he went into the recording studio in August of 1961, he was accompanied by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Lex Humphries, and conga player Ray Baretto. The key was Carter, who was near the beginning of a career that continues today as one of the most prolific bassists in jazz history. He was the perfect foil for Montgomery as his talent on the bass pushed him to better performances. The most interesting tracks are Montgomerys two original compositions, Twisted Blues and Something Like Bags. The ballads, a subtle cover of the 1940s tune One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) and While Were Young, are good examples of the Carter and Montgomery interplay. The Duke Ellington piece Cotton Tail, which in its original incarnation was a sax-driven tune, was adapted to feature guitar as the main instrument. As with all the albums in the series, the sound is clear and crisp and the booklet gives a fine history of the albums creation and music. The original liner notes are also included. There were no outtakes from the sessions to add as bonus tracks, so the producers went in a different direction and added eight tracks that were recorded early in 1961 at The Cellar in Vancouver, British Columbia. These include Wes Montgomery with Buddy Montgomery on vibes, bassist Monk Montgomery, and drummer Paul Humphrey. The performances of compositions such as Snowfall, This Love of Mine, On Green Dolphin Street, and Angel Eyes may not have the sophistication of the previous studio tracks but they are good examples of the guitarists technique and style as his playing is out front. The eight performances were released as The Montgomery Brothers in Canada, so you are essentially getting two albums for the price of one. So Much Guitar! was a pivotal album in the career of Wes Montgomery and is an essential listen for any fan of his or of jazz guitar. Rewiew by .... (concordmusicgroup) So Much Guitar! [Original Jazz Classics Remasters] Wes Montgomery CAT # OJC-34596-02 1. Twisted Blues 5:38 2. Cotton Tail 3:42 3. I Wish I Knew 5:26 4. Im Just A Lucky So And So 5:57 5. Repetition 3:56 6. Something Like Bags 4:49 7. While Were Young 2:18 8. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) 7:44 9. Jeannine 4:12 10. Snowfall 6:52 11. Angel Eyes 6:28 12. Barbados 2:34 13. This Love Of Mine 3:51 14. On Green Dolphin Street 4:31 15. You Dont Know What Love Is 6:24 16. Beaux Arts 4:40 LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Concord Music Group will release five new titles in its Original Jazz Classics Remasters series. Enhanced by 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, several bonus tracks on nearly each disc (some previously unreleased) and new liner notes providing historical context to the original material, the series celebrates the 60th anniversary of Riverside Records, the prolific New York-based label that showcased some of the most influential jazz artists and recordings of the 1950s and 60s. The five titles are: Thelonious Monk & Gerry Mulligan: Mulligan Meets MonkBill Evans Trio: How My Heart Sings!Wes Montgomery: So Much Guitar!Cannonball Adderley & Milt Jackson: Things Are Getting BetterChet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe Riverside was launched in 1953 in New York on a shoestring budget by traditional-jazz enthusiasts Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews as a platform to reissue jazz and blues recordings from the 1920s by King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Ma Rainey, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and others. Over the next decade, the label evolved into one of the premier purveyors of modern jazz. With Keepnews producing the sessions (and often writing the liner notes), Riverside brought jazz giants like Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery to the forefront of American music. Despite successes with these and other jazz and blues artists - including Sonny Rollins, Abbey Lincoln, Art Blakey, Mongo Santamaria, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Heath, Charlie Byrd, and the Staple Singers - Riverside folded in 1964, a year after Grauers death. The catalog was acquired by Fantasy in 1972, and Fantasy was in turn acquired by Concord Music Group in late 2004. All five Riverside titles in the current round of reissues were originally produced by Keepnews and include his original liner notes. All reflect the ambitious depth and scope of influential jazz captured in the Riverside catalog over the relatively short span of 11 years. Thelonious Monk & Gerry Mulligan: Mulligan Meets Monk Recorded in mid August 1957, Mulligan Meets Monk is a summit of two artists from two very different and distinct worlds - Monk representing what was then known as East Coast jazz, and Mulligan deeply rooted in a West Coast sound. Rounding out the quartet are bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Shadow Wilson. Even with the two frontmens disparate styles, the unlikely pairing resulted in an engaging and enduring recording, according to Neil Tessers new liner notes. Despite their radically different personalities, and their almost antipodal approach to improvising, Monk and Mulligan found common ground in composition, says Tesser. Not in the songs themselves - no one would ever mistake one of Monks for one of Mulligans - but in their devotion to the craft, and their admiration for the balanced, well-turned tune. That devotion manifested itself quite differently in their individual musics, but it provided the foundation for their unimagined friendship . . . and allowed them to join in this unexpectedly successful venture. Bonus tracks on the Mulligan Meets Monk reissue are alternate takes of the Mulligan composition Decidedly and Monks Straight, No Chaser, along with two alternate takes of the Monk/Coleman Hawkins piece I Mean You. Bill Evans Trio: How My Heart Sings! Recorded in New York on three separate days in May and June 1962, How My Heart Sings! features Bill Evans accompanied by bassist Chuck Israels (replacing Scott Lofaro, who had died in an automobile accident less than a year earlier) and drummer Paul Motian. The album is actually the second of two to emerge from the 1962 sessions; the first was Moonbeams, a collection of ballads. How My Heart Sings! is, by design, a bit more lively and energetic. The selections represented here are primarily of a more ‘moving kind, says Doug Ramsey in his new liner notes to the reissue, though there is in the trios approach to all material a desire to present a singing sound. Hence, the title of the album, despite its intended program of faster swinging vehicles. How My Heart Sings! includes three bonus tracks: an alternate take of In Your Own Sweet Way, and previously unreleased renditions of 34 Skidoo and Evrything I Love. Wes Montgomery: So Much Guitar! So Much Guitar! was recorded in August 1961, with Wes Montgomery fronting a stellar lineup that includes Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Lex Humphries on drums and Ray Baretto on congas. The album was a turning point, not only for Wes but for bassist Ron Carter as well, says Marc Myers, author of the reissues new liner notes. While Montgomerys previous release on Riverside in 1960, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, put the guitarist in play with critics, So Much Guitar! caught the ear of poll-voting jazz fans and established him as a soulful force, says Myers. The album also marked Carters first opportunity to show his stuff on the fly - transforming the formally trained 24-year-old into a first-call session player. Today he is one of the most prolific recording artists in jazz history. The bonus tracks here essentially make up an entire second album, capturing eight songs recorded earlier in 1961 at the Cellar, a club in Vancouver, British Columbia. This Canadian set - originally issued on Fantasy as The Montgomery Brothers in Canada, includes Buddy Montgomery on vibes, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums Cannonball Adderley & Milt Jackson: Things Are Getting Better Recorded in a single day in October 1958, Things Are Getting Better showcases the brilliant impromptu interplay of Cannonball Adderley and Milt Jackson, with assistance from Wynton Kelly on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. While Keepnewss original liner notes referred to the recording as fundamentally a blowing date in the best sense of that much abused term, the set is clearly much more than that, according to Willard Jenkinss new notes. The albums groove stems primarily from the successful partnership formed by the blues firm of Adderley and Jackson, says Jenkins, each of whom were hall of fame representatives of the essence of the groove factor during their time as the respective histories of each have borne out. The reissue of Things Are Getting Better includes two bonus tracks not found on the original LP: alternate takes of Buddy Johnsons Serves Me Right and Lawlor and Blakes Sidewalks of New York (the latter arranged by Adderley). Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe is exactly what the title suggests - a set of eight innovative renditions of compositions by one of the most prolific and recognizable theatrical teams of the mid-20th century. Bakers supporting cast on this July 1959 date includes Herbie Mann on flute, piccolo, alto flute, and tenor sax; Zoot Sims on alto and tenor saxophones; Pepper Adams on bari sax; Bill Evans and Bob Corwin trading off piano duties on various tracks; Earl May on bass; and Clifford Jarvis on drums. The album is easily heard as a sequel to the popular Chet (also on Riverside) album of standards released earlier that same great-jazz year of 1959, says James Rozzi in his liner notes to the reissue. The mix of personnel throughout the set provides the recording with a similar timbre while adding uptempo fare to the previously released, slow and relaxed ballad set of Chet. Piccola recensione di ... Wes Montgomery è stato fonte di ispirazione per generazioni di chitarristi. SO Much Guitar! è uno di quei capolavori che non possono mancare nella discoteca degli appassionati di jazz. In Twisted Blues, Cotton Tail, Im Just a lucky So and So e Repetition, la ritmica è assolutamente coinvolgente, con Lex Humphries alla batteria, Ron Carter al contrabbasso e Ray Barreto alle percussioni; sui loro ritmi icalzanti si muovono a passo felpato la chitarra di Wes e il piano di Hank Jones. Something Like Bags è un blues in minore ed ha un groove molto trascinante. I Wish I Knew e One For My Baby sono due ballad delicate e sofisticate. While Were Young è eseguito solo da Wes, ed è un brano molto riflessivo. From Wikipedia John Leslie Wes Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Royce Campbell, Grant Green, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Howe, Russell Malone, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour, Randy Napoleon, and Emily Remler. Biography Montgomery was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. According to NPR Jazz Profiles The Life and Music Of Wes Montgomery, the nickname Wes was a childs abbreviation of his middle name, Leslie. He came from a musical family; his brothers, Monk (double bass and electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone and piano), were jazz performers. The brothers released a number of albums together as the Montgomery Brothers. Although he was not skilled at reading music, he could learn complex melodies and riffs by ear. Montgomery started learning the six string guitar at the relatively late age of 20 by listening to and learning the recordings of his idol, guitarist Charlie Christian; however, he had played a four string tenor guitar since age twelve. He was known for his ability to play Christians solos note for note and was hired by Lionel Hampton for this ability. Many fellow jazz guitarists consider Montgomery the greatest influence among modern jazz guitarists. Pat Metheny has praised him greatly, saying I learned to play listening to Wes Montgomerys Smokin at the Half Note. In addition, Metheny stated to The New York Times in 2005 that the solo on If You Could See Me Now, from this album is his favorite of all time. Joe Pass said, To me, there have been only three real innovators on the guitar—Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, and Django Reinhardt, as cited in James Salliss The Guitar Players and in his Hot Licks instructional video. Kenny Burrell states, It was an honor that he called me as his second guitarist for a session. In addition, George Benson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Jimi Hendrix, David Becker, Joe Diorio, Steve Lukather, Larry Coryell, and Pat Martino have pointed to him numerous times as a great influence. Lee Ritenour, who recorded the 1993 album Wes Bound named after him, cites him as his most notable influence; he also named his son Wesley. Following the early work of swing/pre-bop guitarist Charlie Christian and gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Wes joined Tal Farlow, Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney, and Barney Kessell to put guitar on the map as a bebop / post-bop instrument. While these men generally curtailed their own output in the 1960s, Montgomery recorded prolifically during this period, lending guitar to the same tunes contemporaries like John Coltrane and Miles Davis were recording. While many jazz players are regarded as virtuosos, Montgomery had a very wide influence on other virtuosos who followed him, having also earned the respect of his contemporaries. To many, Montgomerys playing defines jazz guitar and the sound that students try to emulate. Dave Miele and Dan Bielowsky claim, Wes Montgomery was certainly one of the most influential and most musical guitarists to ever pick up the instrument... He took the use of octaves and chord melodies to a greater level than any other guitarist, before or since... Montgomery is undoubtedly one of the most important voices in Jazz guitar that has ever lived-or most likely ever will live. A discussion of Jazz guitar is simply not thorough if it does not touch upon Wes Montgomery. Listening to [Wes Montgomerys] solos is like teetering at the edge of a brink, composer-conductor Gunther Schuller asserted, as quoted by Jazz & Pop critic Will Smith. His playing at its peak becomes unbearably exciting, to the point where one feels unable to muster sufficient physical endurance to outlast it. Wes received many awards and accolades: Nominated for two Grammy Awards for Bumpin, 1965; received Grammy Award for Goin Out of My Head as Best Instrumental Jazz Performance by Large Group or Soloist with Large Group, 1966; nominated for Grammy Awards for Eleanor Rigby and Down Here on the Ground, 1968; nominated for Grammy Award for Willow, Weep for Me, 1969. Wes second album, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, earned him Down Beat magazines New Star award in 1960. In addition, he won the Down Beat Critics Poll award for best Jazz guitarist in 1960, 61, 62,63, 66, and 1967. Montgomery toured with Lionel Hampton early in his career, however the combined stress of touring and being away from family brought him back home to Indianapolis. To support his family of eight, Montgomery worked in a factory from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, then performed in local clubs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. Cannonball Adderley heard Montgomery in an Indianapolis club and was floored. The next morning, he called record producer Orrin Keepnews, who signed Montgomery to a recording contract with Riverside Records. Adderley later recorded with Montgomery on his Pollwinners album. Montgomery recorded with his brothers and various other group members, including the Wynton Kelly Trio which previously backed up Miles Davis. John Coltrane asked Montgomery to join his band after a jam session, but Montgomery continued to lead his own band. Boss Guitar seems to refer to his status as a guitar-playing bandleader. He also made contributions to recordings by Jimmy Smith. Jazz purists relish Montgomerys recordings up through 1965, and sometimes complain that he abandoned hard-bop for pop jazz toward the end of his career, although it is arguable that he gained a wider audience for his earlier work with his soft jazz from 1965–1968. During this late period he would occasionally turn out original material alongside jazzy orchestral arrangements of pop songs. In sum, this late period earned him considerable wealth and created a platform for a new audience to hear his earlier recordings. Wes Montgomery is the grandfather of actor Anthony Montgomery. Technique According to jazz guitar educator Wolf Marshall, Montgomery often approached solos in a three-tiered manner: He would begin a repeating progression with single note lines, derived from scales or modes; after a fitting number of sequences, he would play octaves for a few more sequences, finally culminating with block chords. He used mostly superimposed triads and arpeggios as the main source for his soloing ideas and sounds. The use of octaves (playing the same note on two strings usually one octave apart) for which he is widely known, became known as the Naptown Sound. Montgomery was also an excellent single-line or single-note player, and was very influential in the use of block chords in his solos. His playing on the jazz standard Lover Man is an example of his single-note, octave- and block-chord soloing. (Lover Man appears on the Fantasy album The Montgomery Brothers.) Instead of using a guitar pick, Montgomery plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb, using downstrokes for single notes and a combination of upstrokes and downstrokes for chords and octaves. Montgomery developed this technique not for technical reasons but for his wife. He worked long hours as a machinist before his career began and practiced late at night while his wife was sleeping. He played with his thumb so that his playing would be softer and not wake her. This technique enabled him to get a mellow, expressive tone from his guitar. George Benson, in the liner notes of the Ultimate Wes Montgomery album, wrote, Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. Thats why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people. He generally played a Gibson L-5CES guitar. In his later years he played one of two guitars that Gibson custom made for him. In his early years, Montgomery had a tube amp, often a Fender. In his later years, he played a solid state Standel amp with a 15-inch (380 mm) speaker. Recording career Montgomery toured with vibraphonist Lionel Hamptons orchestra from July 1948 to January 1950, and can be heard on recordings from this period. Montgomery then returned to Indianapolis and did not record again until December 1957 (save for one session in 1955), when he took part in a session that included his brothers Monk and Buddy, as well as trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who made his recording debut with Montgomery. Most of the recordings made by Montgomery and his brothers from 1957–1959 were released on the Pacific Jazz label. From 1959 Montgomery was signed to the Riverside Records label, and remained there until late 1963, just before the company went bankrupt. The recordings made during this period are widely considered by fans and jazz historians to be Montgomerys best and most influential. Two sessions in January 1960 yielded The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, which was recorded as a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Tootie Heath. The album featured two of Montgomerys most well-known compositions, Four on Six and West Coast Blues. Almost all of Montgomerys output on Riverside featured the guitarist in a small group setting, usually a trio (and always with his organist from his Indianapolis days, Melvin Rhyne), a quartet, or a quintet, playing a mixture of hard-swinging uptempo jazz numbers and quiet ballads. The lone exception, Fusion, telegraphed his post-Riverside career: it was his first recording with a string ensemble. One of the more memorable sets involved a co-leadership collaboration with vibraphone virtuoso and Modern Jazz Quartet mainstay Milt Jackson, whom producer Orrin Keepnews has said insisted on a collaboration with Montgomery as a condition for signing a solo recording deal with Riverside. In 1964 Montgomery moved to Verve Records for two years. His stay at Verve yielded a number of albums where he was featured with an orchestra—brass-dominated (Movin Wes), string-oriented (Bumpin, Tequila), or a mix of both (Goin Out of My Head, California Dreamin). He never abandoned jazz entirely however in the Verve years, whether with a few selections on most of the Verve albums, or by such sets as 1965s Smokin at the Half Note (showcasing two memorable appearances at the famous New York City club with the Wynton Kelly Trio) or a pair of albums he made with jazz organ titan Jimmy Smith, The Dynamic Duo and Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes). He continued to play outstanding live jazz guitar, as evidenced by surviving audio and video recordings from his 1965 tour of Europe. As a considered founder of the smooth jazz school the album Bumpin (1965) represents a model from which many modern recording are derived: as the liner notes to the CD remaster issue note, after being unable to produce the desired results by the guitarist and orchestra playing together, arranger Don Sebesky suggested Montgomery record the chosen music with his chosen small group, after which Sebesky would write the orchestral charts based on what Montgomerys group had produced. Longer clips from all of the tracks on Bumpin and other Wes Montgomery albums are found on Verve Records website. By the time Montgomery released his first album for A&M Records, he had seemingly abandoned jazz entirely for the more lucrative pop market, though as in his Verve period he played his customary jazz in small group settings in live appearances. The three albums released during his A&M period (1967–68) feature orchestral renditions of famous pop songs (Scarborough Fair, I Say a Little Prayer, Eleanor Rigby, etc.) with Montgomery using guitar octave technique to recite the melody. These records were the most commercially successful of his career, but featured the least jazz improvisation. Wes and Buddy, along with Richard Crabtree and Benny Barth, formed The Mastersounds, and recorded Jazz Showcase Introducing The Mastersounds and a jazz version of The King and I, both released by World Pacific Records. They first played together at Seattle, particularly working up the set for The King and I, at a club called Daves Fifth Avenue. The composers were so impressed by the jazz version of The King & I that they pre-released the score of Flower Drum Song to the quartet to allow simultaneous release with the soundtrack album. Death On the morning of June 15, 1968, while at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, Montgomery awoke and remarked to his wife that he didnt feel very well. He soon collapsed, dying of a heart attack within minutes. Only 45 years old at the time of his death, Montgomery had just returned from a tour with his quintet and was at the height of his fame, having attained a degree of popular acceptance that few jazz artists in that era achieved. Montgomerys home town of Indianapolis later named a park in his honor. Discography 1958: Fingerpickin 1958: Far Wes 1959: The Wes Montgomery Trio 1959: Yesterdays 1959: Pretty Blue 1960: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery 1960: Cannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners 1960: Movin Along 1961: So Much Guitar 1961: Wes and Friends 1961: Bags Meets Wes! (with Milt Jackson) 1962: Full House 1963: Fusion!: Wes Montgomery with Strings (strings arranged by Jimmy Jones) 1963: Boss Guitar 1963: Portrait of Wes 1963: Guitar on the Go 1963: The Alternative Wes Montgomery (alternate takes for previously issued albums) 1964: Panorama (Produced by Orrin Keepnews) Verve (1964–1966)[edit] 1964: Movin Wes 1965: Bumpin (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) 1965: Smokin at the Half Note 1965: Goin Out of My Head (arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson) 1966: California Dreaming (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) 1966: Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes (with Jimmy Smith) 1966: Tequila (arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman) 1966: Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo (with Jimmy Smith) 1969: Willow Weep for Me (unused takes from the Smokin at the Half Note session; overdubbed woodwinds and brass arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman) 1970: Eulogy A&M (1967–1968)[edit] 1967: A Day in the Life (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (A&M Records/CTI Records) 1968: Down Here on the Ground (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (A&M/CTI) 1968: Road Song (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (A&M/CTI) As sideman 1960: Cannonball Adderley and the Poll Winners (leader: Cannonball Adderley) 1960: West Coast Blues! (leader: Harold Land) 1960: Work Song (leader: Nat Adderley) youtube/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AbXHRF8D7ag
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 19:11:12 +0000
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