So Much Guitar

Wes Montgomery | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000YD3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,719 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb mix of signature jazz guitar sound, players & titles, March 12, 2000

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: So Much Guitar (Audio CD)

This was originally released on the Riverside label (RLP-9382), and has been reissued in compact disc form as part of Fantasy Records OJC series. This reissue features the original 8 tracks, no bonus tracks, and clocks in at just under 40 minutes of music.

I have a few other Montgomery discs, and was never especially impressed with them. They seemed to be mostly loungy covers of classics, with no real bite. A reviewer in the Tower Records house organ "Pulse!" mentioned that Montgomery recorded both some very excellent discs, as well as some real slop. Figuring I'd bought the wrong discs before, I took his sug- gestion and picked up this disc. (His first suggestion, "Far Wes" was out of stock, as was his third, "The Incredible Jazz Guitar".)

And he was absolutely right. The tracks on this disc are only a faint reminder of the mushy cocktail jazz I heard on the other discs. The upbeat tracks like Montgomery's original "Twisted Blues" and his version of Duke Ellington's "Cotton Tail" really move (with the help of the rhythms of Ron Carter/bass, Lex Humphries/drums and Ray Barreto/congas), and Montgomery's solo playing is quite impressive. Hank Jones piano adds an excellent overall flavor. Slower tracks such as "I Wish I Knew" have a relaxed, bluesy sound, without becoming background music.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quality Jazz Guitar, March 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: So Much Guitar (Audio CD)

"So Much Guitar!" gives us the great breadth of Wes's range- from smooth and soulful to quick and sleek. The other players on the CD are also notables. "One for My Baby" is done very nicely, as is "I Wish I Knew". You will also be surprised to find a hidden gem in here- one of the songs is a pure unaccompanied solo, warm and pure to the touch- very clean.

While I am very happy that some of these old jazz albums are now being remastered onto CD, I gave this one four stars instead of five because it fully employs the split-speaker recording tactic that was popular in the sixties. Through a stereo system that's a plus because it sounds like the band has set up in front of you- Wes on the right, the kit in the middle, etc. The problem is that I like to listen to music on my walkman, and my right ear gets blasted with straight guitar! Not so much a complaint, but more of an unusual situation. Anyway, if you like good jazz and especially great electric jazz guitar, buy this CD!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not just the best guitarist, June 16, 2009

By 

Jonathan Trigg "Groyniad" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: So Much Guitar (Audio CD)

Asked who was the best musician he'd ever played with Ray Brown shook his head and expressed frustration with the question. Pressed, he said something like 'the two most naturally musical people I've played with are Bird and Wes'. This man swings in a way all his own. This is not quite his best album, but its up there.