Incredible Jazz Guitar: Remastered

Incredible Jazz Guitar: Remastered
Customer Review: An indispensable album from a major innovator in jazz guitar playing!

Wes Montgomery can be described as the greatest jazz guitarist to appear after Charlie Christian’s death (he also used some harmonic elements borrowed from Django Reinhardt.)

Entirely self-taught, he developed a unique style eschewing fingerpicking and plectrum techniques. Instead, he picked tunes with his thumb. His playing of unison octaves and parallel chords gave him a distinctively soft, well-rounded guitar tone.

After signing to the Riverside label in 1959, he released several outstanding recordings which were revelations to jazz lovers.

Among these recordings, “The Incredible Jazz Guitar”, recorded in January 1960, is - arguably - his best album. Accompanied by gifted and experienced musicians [Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums], he shows his relaxed virtuosity in melodic solos that, although built on simple lines, evolve in complex harmonic chords. Tommy Flanagan’s elegant piano comes out pretty forward in the mix, and it is a good thing too as he proves to be a perfect match to Montgomery! He shines throughout the album and particularly on Coltrane’s marvellous, “Airegin” where Wes truly stretches out. The rhythm section proves solid and unobtrusive throghout.

Another standard is Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way” which suits Wes’ style very well. The other covers are very relaxed versions of “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and “Gone with the Wind.”

The remaining four tracks are Montgomery’s original compositions. On “Mr. Walker”, he displays lengthy, bop-inspired runs with total command. The other originals are just as fine and I personally enjoy his “Four on Six” very much because it highlights his gentle manner of pressing the strings.

If you appreciate jazz guitar and are still new to Wes Montgomery, this CD offering cannot fail to bring a smile on your face.

The analogue takes engineered by Jack Higgins prove really good for the times (almost half a century ago) as the music comes out clearly in digital form.

Happy listening!

-

The Delta Cultural Center, located in historic downtown Helena, Arkansas, is a museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Arkansas Delta including … Read more..

Yahoo! reviewed these sites and found them related to Music > Blues. Read more..

Blues Radio on AOL Radio offers free blues music stations online. Listen to your favorite blues music online with AOL Radio featuring XM Satellite Radio. Read more..