Wes Montgomery

Introdution

A distinctive stylist, Wes Montgomery, b. John Leslie Montgomery in Indianapolis, Ind., Mar. 6, 1923, d. June 15, 1968, is generally considered by critics to be the most influential jazz guitarist after Charlie Christian. He taught himself to play guitar by listening to Christian's recordings, but he used his thumb on the strings, creating a mellow timbre and freeing his fingers to play the melody line in two registers. Playing in octaves became a hallmark of the Montgomery style (www.rhapsody.com). After working in local bands, Montgomery toured with Lionel Hampton's big band for two years (1948-50), soloing on live broadcasts and making his first recordings.

Between 1955 and 1962 he played in several groups with his brothers, Monk (electric bass guitar) and Buddy (vibraphone and piano). From 1959 to 1964, in addition to working as a sideman with John Coltrane (1961-62), Montgomery led his own trio with organ and drum and recorded a series of jazz albums, starting with Incredible Jazz Guitar (1960), that established his reputation as a highly original and expressive jazz musician (www.allaboutjazz.com). More pop-oriented albums with orchestral accompaniment appealed to a broader audience—Goin' Out of My Head (1965) won a Grammy Award, and A Day in the Life was the best-selling jazz album of 1967—but he continued to perform live in small groups. His career was flourishing when he died suddenly in 1968. Montgomery's influence has been acknowledged by later guitarists, including George Benson, B. B. King, and Pat Martino (www.classicjazzguitar.com).

Discussion

It had taken Wes a long time to become an overnight success. He started to educate himself guitar in 1943 (using his thumb rather than a choose) and explored with Lionel Hampton throughout 1948-50; he can be perceived on a couple of broadcasts from the period. But then Montgomery returned to Indianapolis where he was in obscurity throughout much of the 1950s, employed a day job and playing at associations most nights.

He recorded with his brothers vibraphonist Buddy and electric powered bassist Monk throughout 1957-59 and made his first Riverside album (1959) in a trio with organist Melvin Rhyne. In 1960 the release of his album The unbelievable Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery made him well known in the jazz world. Other than a brief time playing with the John Coltrane Sextet (which also included Eric Dolphy) later in the year, Wes would be a leader for the rest of his life (www.playjazzguitar.com).

Montgomery's recordings can be ...