Wes Montgomery- A Playlist from the First Wes Albums I Bought!

OKFour of the first Wes Montgomery albums I bought

Wes Montgomery – The First of My Jazz  Guitar Heroes

I go way back with Wes Montgomery. I discovered Wes Montgomery in the late 1960s around  the time he was crossing over to “mainstream” music: Actually, I don’t know if seeing him on the Hollywood Palace had anything to do with my discovering Wes. Most likely I already already about him because of “Windy”.

Either way I know I went out and bought the three albums Wes recorded on the A&M label. A Day in the Life (1967), Down Here on the Ground (1968)  and Road Song (1968). By the time A Day in the Life was released in read more

Wes Montgomery and Robben Ford Provide a Day of Blues and Jazz

Wes Montgomery and Robben Ford albums today’s random picksSo yesterday’s random numbers were 3 and 5. Those numbers led me to one blues album from Robben Ford and the Blue Line and a jazz album from Wes Montgomery. The Robben Ford album is his 1995 release Handful of Blues. The Wes Montgomery album was Movin’ Wes, released in 1964 on the Verve label.

Robben  Ford -Handful of Blues

Robben Ford is one of the artists I like when I hear his music but I tend not to search out his music. Part of the reason is I really didnt care for a few of his more recent albums. Therefore, I probably haven’t given his current albums a good listen. Bottom line , I just havent been listening to his music much anymore. read more

Jazz Guitar Great Wes Montgomery Goes “Pop”!

Wes Montgomery Plays “Windy”

Wes Montgomery was a great jazz guitarist, but his most successful album A Day in the Life, and single  “Windy”  were more “Pop” than jazz. However, back in 1967 and ’68, when I was listening mostly to rock and pop music, it was through Montgomery’s albums on A&M records, that I discovered the incredible jazz guitar of  Wes Montgomery.

Wes recorded three  albums for A&M, A Day in the Life, Down Here on the Ground, and  Road Song.  All of the albums contained Montgomery covering pop songs of the day,  like “Windy” and “A Day in the  Life” and even classics like “Greensleeves” and while the albums were not be full of classic jazz tracks, they are full of Wes’ great jazz  guitar! read more

From the Archives – A Morning of Jazz – Wes Montgomery and Wynton Kelly – Smokin’ at the Blue Note!

Smokin' at the Half Note

Last night when I was sifting through my vinyl collection I came across the Wes Montgomery album Willow Weep For Me, Finding that album reminded me of this post I had written a while ago. I read the liner notes for the album which has always been a favorite and discovered that in the summer of 1968 Verve Records discovered previously unreleased tracks and the seven that are included on Willow Weep for Me were recorded at the same booking at The Half Note in Greenwich Village! In the notes Richard Lamb writes: read more