Wes Montgomery - Incredible Jazz Guitar

Riverside

Nearly half a century on, it’s hard to overstate the influence of Wes Montgomery on jazz guitar. No, make that guitar in general, irrespective of genre. That historical reach immediately registers the signifier in title of this Riverside studio date as far from a hollow superlative. It’s the rare instance where probable hyperbole translates instead into an accurate appraisal. The whole situation becomes even more ‘incredible’ considering the manner in which the guitarist came under the wing of the Riverside mantle. To hear Orrin Keepnews tell it, if not for the keen ear of A&R scout Cannonball Adderely, Montgomery might have languished in the Indianapolis club scene for years. A spate of sessions for Pacific Jazz prior seems to suggest otherwise but whatever the case, Montgomery truly hit his professional stride with this one.

The album’s eight cuts split evenly between standards and originals, constituting the sort of program that would come to embody textbook hardbop guitar fare. Pianist Tommy Flanagan heads the rhythm section with the Heath brothers Percy and Albert in close tow, devising tasteful accompaniment and mainly staying out of Montgomery’s way. Octave-shaded guitar lines color nearly ever number almost to the point of excess. Somehow the guitarist succeeds in making each and every solo a paragon of scintillating beauty. His “Four on Six” contains some exemplary single note picking for variety’s sake, but those persistently mesmerizing octave runs aren’t far behind. With the release and reception of this record, Montgomery found himself on the fast track to dominance on his instrument. Offers followed and he was eventually wooed away by more lucrative contracts first with Verve and then A&M. The sad trade-off on the latter deal arrived with increasing pressure to toe a pop-oriented line. That decline was still years away at the time of this set, one that distills Wes’ art into a readily digestible digest.

~ Derek Taylor