The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery [Original recording remastered]

Wes Montgomery | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1960
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Riverside
• ASIN: B0017YZIL4
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,726 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #24 in Music > Jazz > Bebop > Hard Bop
  • #40 in Music > Jazz > Bebop > General AAS
  • #40 in Music > Jazz > Bebop > Bebop General

Track Listings

1. Airegin

2. Polka Dots and Moonbeams

3. West Coast Blues

4. Mr. Walker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Jazz Guitar CD, February 23, 2009

By 

Roger Berlind (NY, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Audio CD)

This is my favorite Jazz Guitar album and one that I've had for some time, first on a cassette that I got from my brother and eventually on CD. I used to listen to this in my car and didn't even know the names of the songs or who had written them. All I knew was that I really dug Montgomery's guitar playing.

After getting the 1987 version of the CD, I learned that the album included Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way", 2 standards, and 4 originals by Montgomery. I also learned that his supporting cast included Tommy Flanagan on piano and the Heath brothers on bass and drums.

This album is a real pleasure to listen to, not just for Montgomery's truly incredible guitar playing, but also for the relaxing atmosphere all 4 musicians create. This is a perfect album to play late at night before going to bed; just turn down the lights, lie down on your couch, and let the music soothe your soul.

My only complaint about the CD I owned (the 1987 remastering) was that the sound was kind of muddy. While reviewing that version, I learned that this "Keepnews Collection" version had been released, so I ordered it to compare the sound. It does have slightly better sound, mainly stronger bass. In retrospect, I suspect that the "muddiness" I heard in the 1987 version was mostly in Montgomery's own sound or in the source tapes.

The real value of the 2008 version, however, is the new booklet with a new essay by Orin Keepnews, who produced the original sessions. He explains how he first heard about Montgomery from Cannonball Adderly, talks about the first two records (including this one) that Montgomery cut for Riverside, and explains the boastful title. He also puts the album in the broader context of Montgomery's brief but brilliant 9 year career.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At the summit of the jazz guitar mountain..., June 14, 2008

By 

Eric C. Sedensky "late-to-jazz musician" (Madison, AL, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Audio CD)

...Wes Montgomery has planted the flag! This is one of the most dynamic and sonically interesting works of jazz I've had the pleasure to hear in a long time. Never really a big fan of jazz guitar, works like Bill Frisell's Have a Little Faith have started to attract me to the appeal of jazz guitar, and this CD continues that trend. Wes keeps every song going steadily from start to finish, whether a soothing ballad or a rocking blues riff, with (what must be) intricate fingering at a lightening speed and nary a clue as to how he gets the strings to make the sounds they do. That's always been the epitome of jazz guitar for me: when the sound is so seamless that it doesn't even sound like strings were plucked but more like they were simply asked to sing and then do. Montgomery truly scales the heights with this work and guitar players will need to have this work as a point of reference for how high they can go, while jazz fans will want this to round out and diversify their collection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wes Montgomery Review, June 17, 2009

By 

David Mccorkle - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Audio CD)

I have always liked the jazz guitar, and Wes Montgomery has never let me down. His style and drive will always make him one of the best. And I would tell people that have never heard Wes play, this is the perfect CD to get you started. It has so much to offer, and with Tommy Flanagan, Percy Heath, and "Tootie" Heath playing excellent backdrop, Wes really shines in his ability to make you really hear the sound he wants to deliver. Thank you Wes, for the incredible sound.