Customer Reviews

Smokin at the Half Note

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wes arrived late (he was 35) and checked out early (fewer than 10 years in the spotlight). Still, no guitarist has had a greater impact in the history of this music. By the time he had moved on from Riverside to this session for Verve, he had little to prove to musicians and was beginning to accept more accessible, popular assignments that would broaden his appeal to the general public. "Smokin'," despite lacking any tunes as challenging as "Airegin" ("The Incredible Guitar Artistry of"), can stand alongside his Riverside work as an example of creative, inspired playing. And the presence of Wyn Kelley along with Chambers and Cobb definitely raises the swing factor a notch.

If you're new to Wes, don't expect to be blown away by just one recording. Guitar is such a popular if not universal instrument that to be designated "number one" often seems to over-inflate listeners' expectations, inviting subsequent doubt and dissent. What sets Wes apart from the field is not pyrotechnical legerdemain or bold innovation but every "little" thing that he does so well so effortlessly so much of the time. The sound he gets out of the instrument is of itself a marvel. It has a deep and meaty, utterly natural, resonance, almost as if the tone is doubling itself, reminding me less of other guitarists than of Bird and Clifford. Additionally, there's never a microsecond of doubt in his playing or solo constructions. Nothing is tentative--in terms of notes, phrases, or choruses. It's all so completely lyrical and logical that the listener's biggest challenge can be not to take it for granted.

His solo on Sam Jones' "Unit 7" might serve as a touchstone to all of his playing. He starts with inventive single note melodic ideas, then moves to octaves without the faintest suggestion of slowing down to accommodate the extra note, then finally kicks it into high gear with a fully chorded "out" chorus that feels as forceful as a shout chorus by the whole Count Basie Band.

I never caught Wes live, but I've heard that visually he was the mirror image of his music--efficient, composed, resourceful, economical--not the least hint of wasted motion, just like Bird and Tatum. Genius requires a level of concentration that the rest of us probably have little to no experience with. Wes Montgomery is one of those artists who can take the listener beyond the music, producing vibrations that are not merely satisfying at a sensual or emotional-intellectual level: his music is capable of leading to discoveries about the creative process itself.

Put the greatest jazz guitarist ever with Miles Davis' rhythm section and you get this. Couple Wes' amazing improvisation and ceaseless ideas with Wynton Kelly's classy embellishments, Paul Chambers' continuous drive, and Jimmy Cobb's tireless swing and you get something very close to utopia. Everything that made Wes great is in this recording.

As far as the reviewer who said Wes was half the guitarist that Joe Pass was, he's right in a sense. Wes' thumb style limited his speed, so he couldn't play as fast as some other guitarists. However, Wes had something that Joe Pass, Johnny Smith, and Tal Farlow lacked: phrasing. Listening to Joe pick every note is enough to make a horn player faint. After listening to most jazz guitarists, I get the urge to say, "That's nice, but what's your point?" They can play fast, complex lines, but none of it seems to have any purpose other than showing off. Wes was a master at phrasing and the use of space. He skillfully used single lines, octaves, and chords to get his point across. He carefully constructed coherent solos that always seemed to say something. Listen to No Blues on this album. Though Wes plays a long solo, each chorus is more exciting than the one before it. When I listen to Joe Pass, each chorus does not build on the one before it, and it all gets boring very quickly.

One of the most memorable events of my youth was in 1967, the year before Wes Montgomery died. I and another guitar player friend sat just feet from Wes in Washington DC's Bohemian Caverns club as he tore into number after number, in total command of his fabulous L-5 Gibson guitar. I even recall the first tune of the night: "I Could Write a Book." If I could revisit any one time and place in my life, that would be it. The Half Note album is another session on that order. Oh, how I wish I could have been there..and at Tsubo in San Francisco to hear him with Wynton Kelly and sax man Johnnie Griffin. Moments like those are meant to live forever. Thank God someone recorded it. Get this CD and dream of being in the audience. These moments in history only happen once.

Wes Montgomery's "Smokin' at the Half Note- Live" album is one of the best live jazz guitar albums ever made! Wes Montgomery had a gift for his clear expression of intricate melodies, along with a blend of interesting chord voicings, creative soloing ideas, and innovative techniques (such as his soloing in octaves, picking with his thumb, and amazing accuracy and dexterity), that have not been heard before or since.

His stirring performances of "No Blues" and "Four on Six," in particular, stand out as amazing examples of his innovation, creativity and outstanding jazz guitar technique.

If you are interested in hearing some of Wes' best studio work, check out "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery"- one of the best jazz guitar albums of all time!

Thank you, Wes, for inspiring countless jazz guitarists, and music-lovers everywhere!

This album is most certainly one of the best ever recorded, in my opinion. Wes Montgomery is an incredible guitarist, and his performance on this album is exemplary. I would also like to point out that this album contains some of Wynton Kelly's best playing. His lines and bouncy time feel, and his empathy with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb (which I consider to be probably the best rhythm section in history) are all top shelf and anyone who is interested in hard-swinging music and in Wynton Kelly should acquire this album post haste.

Wes Montgomery had already recorded numerous masterpieces on the Riverside label, but still hadn't been caught in a live setting. Verve Records teamed him with the Wynton Kelly Trio and promptly sent them out on the road and recorded them. This CD, along with another called "Full House" (includes saxman Johnny Griffin) captured lightening in a bottle. "No Blues" is one of the finest swinging songs Wes has ever recorded. He is obviously at home with Wynton, and vice-versa. Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers are flawless behind them. "Impressions" is so good that Wes breaks out into spontaneous laughter; and "Unit Seven" is so perfect, and so precise, that until the clapping at the end one might think it a studio recording. "Four on Six" is a classic, yet Wes suprises the listener by soloing instead of chording in the first turnaround. I could go on and on... Bottom line is: This is one of the best jazz recordings on record (or CD), "Live" or otherwise. Trust me - You'll love it.

If you can learn the licks from this album it will pay big dividends. Guitarists who want to jazz up their playing will find they will get a lot of mileage by studying this album. "No Blues" is loaded with awesome 1-4-5 playing, and there's other bebop and ballads.

My intent is not to belittle, please understand. I would however, like to know how in the world anyone can do a Doc. on Jazz and not include a piece on The Great Guitarists? John Leslie Montgomery played as much jazz as anyone I've heard. I would recomend this session to anyone who wants to explore hard bop, and some of the best ballad style playing available on the planet.

Wes is playing as if his life depended on it. Does not get much better than this incredible CD. Pat Metheny cites this as a major influence on his own style. So, what are you waiting for?

This disc is a must have for any Jazz lover!!! It showcases Wes At his best. The album really lives up to its title Smokin. Wes and the Winton Kelly trio interact and play off of each other with mastery. This disc has enough stuff to keep a Jazz player busy for awhile.