Customer Reviews

Dynamic New Sound

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wes Montgomery, no questions asked the most gifted jazz guitarist of his and most times (he leaves his idol Charlie Christian far enough behind, and his acolytes have been many without quite equaling his lyricism and taste), was often enough believed to have said he felt most comfortable in the trio format with which he worked on this, his Riverside debut.

I've never seen an exact quote myself, but listening to the albums he did in such a format you can understand why he might have said it. In organist Melvin Rhyne (one of the great underrated players on his instrument in jazz) the master guitarist had a partner who'd been with him long enough in Indianapolis to have been a genuine alter-ego---the two never cross each other up, either when trading off on solos, or working ensemble passages, or playing call-and-response, and they communicate that ease to whichever drummers happen to be working with them at the time. The absolute best performances of the Wes Mongtomery Trio are textbook exercises in how to put the music first and not step on each other's corns doing it.

They begin well enough with this Riverside debut, and especially the leadoff selection, "Round Midnight," which Montgomery plays with such graceful understatement he gives one of the best impressions you'll ever hear of the empty hour the title refers, with Rhyne setting him a calmly melancholy bedding and drummer Paul Parker playing almost ambient brushstrokes that imply nothing short of a lonely walker ambling slowly toward the subway rather than face another night awake in an isolated apartment.

That performance alone makes the price a value, but it's far from the only value. When the trio swings, they do it without pushing (small wonder Montgomery in later years would feel comfortable playing bossa nova selections now and then), even on a selection that isn't quite that gripping in its own right; when they return to balladry, they emphasise the song and its atmosphere over their own formidable selves---something that did as much to make Montgomery's reputation as his techniques did---and when they hit the blues running (always a Montgomery specialty), they prove you don't need to bang to play the blues.

About the only thing you can find wrong with the album is a kind of hesitancy: they seem so anxious to get things right that they seem as though they were caught unawares by their recording engineers. Their otherwise pleasant version of Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" (both takes), and Montgomery's comfortable original "Missile Blues" (both takes; named for the after-hours joint in Indianapolis where Montgomery held court for several years . . . after long days working as a welder and earlier evenings at other Indianapolis clubs), are good examples of this, though "Missile Blues" manages to convey just enough of that after-hours feeling to save both takes.

But when they're not feeling so shy, they pounce on their material without smothering it, "Ecaroh" being perhaps the best example (it makes you ponder what the master would have done if he'd picked a few more of Horace Silver's repertoire to interpret)---Montgomery plays with perhaps the most confidence other than "Round Midnight," Rhyne plays as though he's just been sprung from two weeks' solitary confinement, and Parker as though he's just glad to be brought along for the romp.

Montgomery's guitar style is already formed fully thanks to all those years making his bones in Indianapolis---he's already one of the great improvisational melodists, whether in single notes, octaves, or chords---and even in this album's few lesser spots he's delivering most of the depth of his talent. (Switching in due course from a Gibson L-4 guitar such as he uses here and on his next couple of albums to the more full L-5 didn't exactly hurt him, either.) If this album began a journey in which he'd find his depth was more than even he thought it might become (he was nothing if not notoriously modest about himself), it was a beginning farther along than even his most staunch admirers might have suspected.

Wes' second album for Riverside is the celebrated "Incredible Jazz Guitar". This is is first Riverside effort, done in the organ trio format. Don't start with 'Incredible' and forget this one! Some great tracks: 'Round Midnight', 'Yesterdays' and 'Ecaroh'.

If you decide to skip the organ trio format because you think you don't like it, then you miss Mel Rhyne on this one, and on others in the Riverside catalog. You don't want to do that.

Also of interest on this one is a very early version of Wes' own standard, 'Jingles', played much differently than what one hears later in his career. Wes is the best.

This is not your typical sounding jazz record, so don't be too surprised or turned off when you initially hear it. I've discovered that the music on this one tends to grow on you over time. Of course, this version of "Around Midnight" is one the best ever, but there a lot of other gems here. The other bonus about this record is the clear, crisp sound quality. You feel like you're right next to his amp. If you like jazz guitar this is must have.

This is one of my all-time favorite jazz albums and it sets a wonderful mood for either a quiet night alone, or with the one you love. But this is much more than backgroud music! Wes Montgomery's genius shines through on the incredible version of "Round Midnight" and also on "Whisper Not" and "Too Late Now" which will send chills down your spine. This disc is a landmark moment in jazz history that any fan of the genre should own. You won't be sorry!

Wes Montgomery's three piece trio consisted of organist Melvin Rhyne and drummer Paul Parker. What defines Wes Montgomery? Is it his octaves, block chords, or his amazing solo's? I think they all fit into the define category. This was my second Wes Montgomery album and I in fact favored The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery over The Wes Montgomery Trio. But dont get me wrong this is def. a Wes Montgomery classic album. From the start of the album you can hear how inspiring Wes Montgomery's playing was on 'Round Midnight, from the soft sounds of Whisper Not. Missle Blues Demonstrates how creative and talented Wes's natural style was. If your a first time listerner to this kind of music and play guitar i would highly recommend listening over the album a couple of times to get alot of beautiful notes you may have missed, if you really want to play some real jazz guitar. Wes's natural style also made him inspiring to many guitar fans such as myself. Jingles is definetly one of my all time favorite songs on The Wes Montgomery Trio. This was Wes's debut album into the jazz world, it was recorded on October 5 and 6 of 1959. You will be inspired after you listen to The Wes Montgomery Trio. Highly Recommended!!!!

I had heard Wes Mongomery before and I (being a guitarist) had heard raves about his playing. I bought a "best of" compilation from his Verve years, horrible, horrible! All his Verve stuff is nothing but cheesy pop elevator Muzak! He plays in nothing but octaves, which can really get annoying, especially when coupled with "Sleigh bells" and an Orchestra. His first release, named simply after his band at the time, is so much better. First of all, the organ, drums, guitar trio is one you don't see often in jazz, but I don't know why it wasn't more widely implemented. Montgomery's playing is wonderful throughout and the shimmering organ of Melvin Rhyne and calm, barely-there but supportive drums of Paul Parker create a lush, shimmering backdrop. Montgomery plays mostly standards, but he calmly takes the tunes and makes them his own, venturing into octave solos, chord solos, and some wonderful single line solos. In all this is quite a great recording. The 4 stars are only because two songs on here "Satin Doll" and Wes's own "Missle Blues" are repeated as alternate takes but sound almost exactly the same, therefore making it seem like some kind of duplicity error at the manufacturing plant! Otherwise, this is a great disc. "Too Late now" is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

Quite different from his later big-band recordings. Some of the songs that you may find on Wes' 'BEST OF' collections sound too much like elevator music. Not so with this debut album. A drummer, a organist, and a guitar player; no horn section. Stripped down in the sence of band size but very deep and articulate playing. He shows of his trade mark octave playing, his chord solos (played over the organs rythm chords none the less), and flashy runs across the fret board when needed. A good CD to start with for the guitarist who wants to play jazz.