I Remember Wes Montgomery ... / Recommendations

[Lenny the Guitarist]

One of the most awesomely-talented jazz guitarists, Wes Montgomery, died on this date, June 15th, in 1968 at the age of 43. He was almost entirely self-taught, but his absurdly imaginative use of octaves remains legendary 35 years later. I never liked how Creed Taylor marketed his music, but to most critics, musicians, and students of music, he was one of the giants. RIP, maestro.

[Pete C]

We gotta get Wes out of the alley.

[Henry Mars]

Wes was one of the three guitarists that influenced me the most. The other two were Tal Farlow and Charlie Byrd.
I saw Wes at the old Showboat Jazz theater in Philly. My friend threw away his guitar picks forever on the ride home.

I was just back from a band rehearsal laying in bed listening to WHAT FM when I heard the news that Wes had passed. I cried for a few hours and didn't sleep too well for a week afterwards.
There aren't too many people that have ever had that kind of effect on me including my father.
Wes was a natural monster ... and probably the most immitated player in the history of jazz guitar.

I still feel the loss after all these years.

[Dr Dave]

"Airegin" on "The Incredible Jazz Guitar" says it all. Never mind the CTI records; Wes was a total monster.

[clinthopson]

Jump to Speak Out.

A great swinging player and a major influence on those who followed.

[Sergio Zamora]

Yes, good guitarist. Now up to Speak OUt. It's bad enough that there are more posts in the Alley.

[BlueMiles]

"Full House" is a great guitar album, and hell...it's one fabuolous live jazz album. Wes at his greatest, it seems to me. He and the whole group just cook on this one.

By the way, I once wrote an article on Wes Montgomery. It's unpublished, unless you count a minsicule club anthology. It did pick up a small award in a small writing contest. Kind of a mini-research paper, really, with some quotations thrown in from Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, and even Creed Taylor.

[BFrank]

Yes, "Full House" is definitely a primo live album.

"Boss Guitar", "Portrait of Wes" and "So Much Guitar" are also solid dates.

[mke]

Originally posted by BlueMiles
"Full House" is a great guitar album, and hell...it's one fabuolous live jazz album. Wes at his greatest, it seems to me. He and the whole group just cook on this one.

By the way, I once wrote an article on Wes Montgomery. It's unpublished, unless you count a minsicule club anthology. It did pick up a small award in a small writing contest. Kind of a mini-research paper, really, with some quotations thrown in from Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, and even Creed Taylor.

Why not put it on this thread?

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Smokin' At The Half Note, with the Wynton Kelly Trio!!

[FredC]

All of the above, me too.

IMO there was a good bit of Wes influence in Joe Pass.

[Stormcrow]

Shame he died (relatively) young. A great talent.

[A. Kingstone]

Is it true he never quit his day job as a welder?

[Stormcrow]

Sometimes I wonder what some of the greats who died early would have evolved into if they lived to be 80, like Sonny Rollins. What would Bird have become? Or Coltrane? Or, for that matter, Wes?

I think we've been gypped, guys!

[Noj]

When I was in the process of discovering I like jazz I found a Verve Best Of Wes Montgomery in with my parents' collection of 60s/70s vinyl. That record (along with some Coltrane and Horace Silver) permanently altered my entire perspective of music.

[RainyDay]

Wow. I remember when he died but I didn't remember he died on my birthday. His death was such a shock, like Otis Redding's.

The smooth station plays Montgomery's work fairly often. I have some of his work on vinyl.

[jesus marion joseph]

The only Wes CD I own is "The Incredible Jazz Guitar". This thread has inspired me to obtain more.

[Pete C]

JMJ--go for the 2-disc "The Verve Jazz Sides" -- it has the complete Smokin' at the Half Note recordings.

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally posted by Pete C
JMJ--go for the 2-disc "The Verve Jazz Sides" -- it has the complete Smokin' at the Half Note recordings.

Will do.

[clinthopson]

"The Alternative Wes Montgomery" on Milestone has the uncreedtaylorized Wes.

Great stuff.

[ormsbop]

What made Wes so great to me was his melodic sense, that in a way even transcended his guitar playing. I mean, even if you could;ve taken away his unique guitar-oriented technique(s) - [i.e. right hand thumb picking, consistent playing in octaves etc.] - his solos still had something uniquely substantial there that other instrumentalists -even horn players- could learn something from. which IMO is unique for a guitar player. He came up with great lines and made solos that could really "tell a story" not just be a show of chops. His unorthodox techniques were just frosting on the cake. Great musician as well as a phenomenal guitar player.

Not to change the subject but does anyone know what's up with Buddy Montgomery? Is he okay? The itinerary on his web page hasn't been updated in the last couple years. He was working on a book about him and his brothers that was I guess slated to be released in 2001 but hasn't as far as I know.

[BlueMiles]

Here's my piece on Wes, for what it's worth


Wes Montgomery:
Jazz Success Story?

Mike Bohnert

(AKA Blues Miles)


A testament to guitarist Wes Montgomery's continuing influence can be observed by the appearance of three tribute albums in 1993, twenty-five years after his death. These albums feature the work of no less than twelve mainstream jazz guitarists--including Kenny Burrell, Kevin Eubanks, Ted Dunbar, Tal Farlow, and Herb Ellis--paying homage to Montgomery by performing his compositions and repertoire. Twelve is actually a very modest number, since virtually every jazz guitarist, including those working in jazz fusion, have cited Montgomery as the main influence on the guitar. Adulation of this sort sometimes results from an artist's early death. Montgomery died at the age of forty-three, not young at all in comparison to jazz figures like guitarist Charlie Christian (23) and trumpeter Clifford Brown (25). However, Montgomery's recording career lasted only nine years. He did not cut an album until he was thirty-four, and some have charged that Montgomery was lax in terms of seeking recognition on the national jazz scene. A more serious charge is that Wes sold out during his last few years, producing a series of bland, easy listening albums that required him to suppress his jazz ability.

Montgomery was successful in a number of ways. First, he became a jazz star, reaching a small but enthusiastic audience. More than any other mainstream guitarist, Montgomery brought the instrument respect and a place in the forefront of jazz groups. Up to this time, guitarists were generally not found in jazz combos--by comparison, piano was virtually mandatory--and the few albums led by guitarists received scant attention from the jazz press. Second, Montgomery broadened his audience considerably, and reaped impressive financial benefits, when he began cutting pop albums. There is a parallel to the career of Nat King Cole, who began as a much-admired jazz pianist but gained his real success and lasting fame as a pop singer. However, while Cole earned a place in American music history through his pop career, Montgomery's ventures in that area have generally been dismissed or forgotten. Third, Montgomery's success endures in his massive influence to this day upon guitarists and other jazz instrumentalists.

From a technical standpoint, Montgomery was noted for two innovations--perhaps not so much innovations as distinctive trademarks. The most famous of these is his playing in octaves, thereby doubling the melody notes. This technique was considered impossible at the time, although it had been found in some of the work of Django Reinhardt and other guitarists, but not with Montgomery's artistry (Lyons 227). The result tended toward a simplification of the melody but an increased richness and boldness of texture, accounting for much of Montgomery's unique sound. This distinctive sound also derived from Montgomery's use of his thumb rather than a pick. Wes' sound was thick, warm, and big; but because of both techniques, he lost some speed on the guitar. At the time, with jazz still heavily influenced by the bebop revolution, the ability to play at maximum tempos was a prime criterion. Much of Montgomery's music does sound rather laid back--a quality that probably made him an ideal candidate the pop field--but when he chose, Montgomery could play with great drive and intensity. The thumb, as guitarist Russell Malone notes, was not a drawback: "There's no pick in the world that will give you the same effect that playing with you thumb does. But Wes always talked about the dexterity he sacrificed to play with his thumb, and that's not necessarily true, because there are a lot of cats with a pick who can't play what Wes played with his thumb" (qtd. in Impressions). One only has to listen to some of the tracks on Full House ("Full House," "Caribe," "Blue 'n Boogie) to hear that Wes' could play with as much fire as any guitarist.

Wes Montgomery's success was largely accidental. He was discovered by alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderly in the late 1950's and quickly signed to a contract with Riverside Records. His producer Orrin Keepnews had the nerve to call his second album The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. This title proved to be no idle boast, for Montgomery immediately drew accolades from all across the jazz field. Over the next five years, Montgomery cut 12 albums as leader or co-leader for Riverside; they are the albums upon which his legacy rests. Yet his success was the limited one so typical of jazz players. Keepnews notes, "Downbeat cited him as the 'New Star' guitarist, but it was still tough for him to get work. I explained to him with a perfectly straight face: 'A year ago you were unknown and broke; now you're a star and broke' " (qtd. in Ferguson 34).

It is an interesting fact that Wes did not desire success, even in jazz terms, until comparatively late in life. Montgomery apparently never had a burning zeal to make a mark on the national jazz scene: "His musical abilities were fully formed in the early 50's, but for most of that decade he remained in obscurity in his native Indianapolis, where he held a series of menial day jobs to feed his family--even when his brothers Buddy and Monk achieved a degree of success as the Mastersounds" (Ferguson 32). This is interesting indeed, considering that once Montgomery broke through his brothers were generally considered not good enough to play with him—although Wes continued to play with his brothers, particularly on the road. There clearly seems an attitude, borne out by both is playing and his personality, that Montgomery was laid back and overly relaxed--usually a detriment in the virtuoso world of jazz: "A little sweat and preferably some pain are almost considered de rigueur. But Montgomery used to loose off solos as if he were sitting on his back porch talking to friends" (Cook and Morton 919-20). This back porch quality might be regarded as either a positive or a negative quality. His playing is often noted for warmth and friendliness. But Montgomery didn't seem to have the jazz musician's consuming passion for music as the center of existence. Musicians have often been considered driven or possessed by the music inside them. Ted Dunbar notes that Montgomery represented a contrasting approach:
"Wes once said to me, 'You know, I don't have to play.' He meant that he wasn't going to die if he couldn't play the guitar. I learned a lot from that statement. He had a large family and he was going to do whatever it took to fulfill his responsibilities. Playing came so damn easy to him. He was always just smiling and laughing like it was nothing. He was one of those unique human beings who understands the qualities that make good music. He didn't try to impress anyone." (qtd. in Ferguson 32)

However, Wes' career was important to him--Keepnews notes his perfectionism in the studio--and he was deeply aware of the responsibility of supporting his family: he had seven children. When the Riverside label folded, he went to the more commercial Verve. He was now produced by the notorious Creed Taylor, who has been almost universally accused by jazz purists of overproducing records and pandering to larger audiences. Taylor candidly recalls the beginning of the relationship: "I gave him a record by Little Anthony and the Imperials called "Goin' Out Of My Head" to see if he could do a version of it that would attract a wider audience. After listening to it, he said, 'You must be goin' out of yours!' " (qtd. in Ferguson 95). Montgomery made the recording anyway and soon found that he was "getting better gigs and making more money. At the same time, critics began saying I was a son of a bitch for dressing him up with strings. We took a lot of flak, but it didn't hurt" (95). Although critically reviled, these recording for Verve (and later for A & M) had big sales, and Montgomery became one of the wealthiest jazz musicians on the scene.

But the success was short-lived. Keepnews claims that Wes was not so easy-going in these days, that he suffered from stress: "headaches, dizzy spells, and extreme expressions of nervousness. His tension was ultimately fed by the knowledge that to be a success, he had to play a great deal under his artistic capacity" (qtd. in Ferguson 34). Keepnews has something of his own agenda, since he was the producer of Montgomery's artistically superior but commercially less successful records. However, there is considerable evidence that Wes was dissatisfied with his later work (at least most of it), and this lack of artistic fulfillment may have contributed to Wes' heart attack at age 43.

But Wes Montgomery's later output was far from a total waste, as one can glean by listening to the CD Impressions: The Verve Jazz Sides. This compilation offers two-and-a-half hours of solid jazz performances (a handful of the tracks were originally sweetened by overdubbed strings). Several tracks document Montgomery in concert with a first-rate quartet at the Half-Note in New York City. Pat Metheny, a tremendous Montgomery fan, called this live performance "the greatest jazz guitar album ever" (qtd. in Impressions). Montgomery does stretch out and play exciting jazz on tracks like "No Blues," "Four on Six," "Willow Weep for Me," and "Impressions," and he delivers fine ballad renditions of "Misty" and "If You Could See Me Now." Many of the other tracks, from albums originally dismissed as mediocre, are equally first-rate. Montgomery plays out in front of a big band on his compositions "West Coast Blues," "Twisted Blues," and "Naptown Blues" (the latter two from Goin' Out of My Head). These tracks really crackle; they are as far removed from easy listening as one can get. They also demonstrate Wes' complete mastery of the blues, an essential ability for nearly all great jazz players. "Sundown" is a deliciously laid-back track, apparently performed by a quartet--an oasis after those big band tracks. But the orchestra pops up on this cut too, suddenly appearing near the end, punching and swaggering in response to Wes' rich chords. One assumes that all of the quality jazz cuts from the original Verve albums were culled and placed on this 2-CD set; but at least they show that Wes still played uncompromised jazz on occasion, that the music wasn't all string-laden versions of pop-rock tunes.

With the onset of fusion in the 1970's, the guitar has become highly prominent in jazz. But the mainstream jazz audience remains small, and mainstream guitarists still struggle for recognition. For instance, Kenny Burrell, who in the course of over forty years has produced more excellent albums as a leader than any other jazz guitarist, even now appears more often on albums as a sideman. Indeed, it is ironic that he organized and played on the Montgomery tribute, since he appeared on the jazz scene several years before Montgomery. Of course, each artist must choose his/her route. Kenny Burrell is perhaps unwilling to do commercial or fusion projects. Or he may not feel the pressure to go after big financial rewards, as Montgomery did.

Some artists find ways out of the jazz ghetto without cutting all ties to their jazz roots. Currently, Pat Metheny and Kevin Eubanks split their work into different types of jazz music. Metheny is clearly in control of his material, usually working in the fusion field (with a very distinctive stamp), but periodically cutting albums with major mainstream jazz artists such as Charlie Haden, Ornette Coleman, and Joshua Redman. Kevin Eubanks manages to balance his work as leader of the Tonight Show Band, which unfortunately does not promote (or is not allowed to promote) real jazz, with the adventurous playing, mostly on acoustic guitar, of his recent albums. Wes Montgomery worked both ends of the field, from pure jazz to background music, but apparently he did not find the right balance or mix. One wonders if more opportunities to fully express himself, as on The Verve Jazz Sides, would have prevented his premature death.


Discography:

Burrell, Kenny. Generation. Blue Note, 1987.
---. Guiding Spirit. Contemporary, 1990.
Eubanks, Kevin. Spirit Talk. Blue Note, 1993.
Haden, Charlie, and Pat Metheny. Beyond the Missouri Sky. Verve, 1997.
Metheny, Pat. Rejoicing. ECM, 1984.
Montgomery, Wes. The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes
Montgomery. Riverside (Original Jazz Classics), 1959.
---. Bags Meets Wes. Riverside (Original Jazz Classics), 1961.
---. Full House. Riverside (Original Jazz Classics), 1962.
---. Impressions: The Verve Jazz Sides. Verve, 1995 (recorded
1964-66).
Project G-7. A Tribute to We Montgomery , vols 1 & 2. (with
Kenny Burrell, Kevin Eubanks, Geno Bertonicini, Ted Dunbar
Rodney Jones, Jack Wilkins, William Ash). Evidence, 1993.
Project G-5. Tribute to Wes Montgomery (with Tal Farlow, Herb
Ellis, Jimmy Raney, Cal Collins, Royce Campbell). Evidence,
1994.

Bibliography:

Cook, Richard and Brian Morton, eds. The Penguin Guide to Jazz
on Compact Disc, LP, and Cassette. London: Penguin, 1994.
Ferguson, Jim. "Portrait of Wes." Jazz Times: August 1995: 30+.
Isaacs, James. Notes to Impressions: The Verve Jazz Sides.
Lyons, Len. The 101 Best Jazz Albums. New York: Morrow and Company, 1980.
225-228.
Mandel, Howard. Notes to Impressions: The Verve Jazz Sides.

[cookie]

I love Wes Montgomery. Glad I found this thread.

FULL HOUSE for me, too.

One of my very favorite, if not my very favorite guitarists.

[cookie]

BlueMiles: AWESOME piece. Great writing. Did you publish it?

[BlueMiles]

Cookie,

I only published it in a little booklet put out by a writer's club.

It was not too hard to write, since I had some good sources and a nice angle in the controversial issue of Wes "selling out" and how it effected him.

His life is pretty interesting. There must be a book out on him(?). I mean, there's a book on Grant Green, so Wes must have one.

[Pete C]

Originally posted by BlueMiles
There must be a book out on him(?). I mean, there's a book on Grant Green, so Wes must have one.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

[Pete C]

Originally posted by Dr Dave
Never mind the CTI records

Not technically on CTI the label, but Creed Taylor was his producer at Verve & A&M before starting CTI.

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

I remember Wes.

[GoodSpeak]

Octave guitar playing at its finest, IMHO.

[Noj]

I remember Wes.

Great George Benson/Don Sebesky tribute to Wes on CTI.