HIS RECORDS SPEAK

Enough of words, though. From here onwards his records can speak for themselves. On record he is not yet too well served,
especially in this country, but what is available is high in quality. The importation of records from the USA is a little expensive in
cash and trouble but in this case it is more than worth the effort. A little trouble and expense is seldom so well repaid! For this
reason and for the additional one that "BMG" has so many American readers, I shall refer to the records, as though they are all
available. If it does not whet the appetite, it will not be my fault. Some tracks by "The Mastersounds" (Vogue label) show Wes's
playing, but not to its best advantage. This is because he is overridingly concerned with ensemble work and is virtually a cog in the
mechanism - a splendid cog but not the Wes we are seeking. In Britain, two records are available and I give the individual titles for
further reference:

"Montgomeryland" vogue LAE 12246. 12" 33 rpm.

"Blowin' the Blues" Vogue LAE. 12224. 12" 33 rpm.

The second of these contains only one Montgomery track but the re mainder of it is worth possessing and contains the work of
other guitarists - Jim Hall and Billy Bean. The Montgomery contribution is of the highest order, solitary though it is.

From the U.S.A. the following records are to be had (if there are more they have not come into my possession yet).

 "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery." - Riverside RLP 12320. 12" 33 rpm.

"The Wes Montgomery Trio" - Riverside RLP 12-310. 12" 33 rpm.

"Work Song" - Riverside RLP 12318. 12" 33 rpm.

In the final part of this series l will try to indicate what rewards await the seeker after these records.

July 1962

Since the opening articles in this series were written I have learned a few additional things about Wes Montgomery's playing and,
though they are not particularly well connected with one another, they are well worth mention. The first continues from the last article,
in which I put on to paper my thoughts relating to Wes' use of the right-hand thumb instead of a plectrum. On balance these
thoughts inclined to the view that he uses the thumb from choice rather than simple lack of tuition. This proves to be the case.
Initially Wes tried playing with a plectrum and just could not learn to love it. He discarded it in favour of the thumb because he did
not like the type of attack and quality of sound it gave and he felt that it lacked the flexibility of dynamic of the thumb.

The change was made in full realisation that this meant some sacrifice of speed but it was considered worth the sacrifice 1n view of
the gain in expressive capacity. Despite this, as his records show, he has developed, such speed that few others, with their plectra,
can move more quickly and still play anything of value.The second point is in relation to the action of the thumb itself.


AN OLD FRIEND

  To the classic guitarist the thumb is an old friend. The classic player who follows the Segovia line (and he is the overwhelming
majority) uses the thumb as a whole (moving both phalanxes as one), without any significant bend at the first joint during the act of
striking. On occasions, when great emphasis is required, the hand is used as a whole, together with the forearm. That is, the pivot is
at the elbow; the forearm, hand and thumb moving together as as unit.

Those who are incorrectly taught, or who cling to the direct line from Tarrega, bend the thumb at its first joint - the "Tarrega, wiggle."
There is thus a fair variety of thumb action already in use and we have not even referred to the many variants embraced by Segovia
technique. It appears that Wes Montgomery uses none of these.

A friend, who has seen him play often and who has been concerned with recording his playing, tells me that Wes uses his thumb by
rotating the hand the pivot being more or less, the line of the forearm. From his description I gather there is little independent
movement of the thumb in relation to the rest of the hand.

Now classic guitar thumb action must be viewed in relation to the use of the hand as a whole, as part of a resourceful and flexible
unit which gives a wide range of possible action patterns. On this, basis, movement contrary to the fingers, must necessarily be of
the type of either the Segovia or Tarrega model it would otherwise be uneconomic and awkward.

Wes is not, however, concerned with any question of balancing or accommodating the action of the fingers; his thumb is a
"plectrum" of flesh and Mood and the fingers, just "go along for the ride."

In normal life the thumb is not called upon to perform rapid and independent actions. Even the classic guitarist does not often
require to use the thumb with real rapidity and when he does it is neither at the speed reached by Wes nor is it for such sustained
periods.

Any attempt to, play say a scale, rapidly (and for more than a bar or three) will soon convince the reader the thumb is just not
normally suited to this kind of thing. Sooner or later (and the faster the tempo the sooner) it "seizes up" and refuses to respond; the
mechanism is probably in part one of mental blockage and partly of muscular fatigue.

LOW LIMIT

The same may, of course, be said of any movement performed with any part of the body but with the thumb the limit is set fairly
low especially in relation to the order of velocity that music may require. One of ithe basic principles of fingering, whether for the
right or the left hand, is, that the use of the fingers should be balanced where possible - where there is an option, it is soundest to
give an equidistribution of work.

A right-hand, classic-guitar tremolo makes use, of all three fingers and a long trill with the left hand (hammers and snaps) is,
frequently helped by changing the moving finger. An action such as that described as being used by Wes Montgomery tends to
throw the onusof movement on muscles and tendons not concerned with moving the thumb itself independently and forming a
looser and more-used system. Because it tends to throw the fingers away from the strings it would be useless for the classic player
but this is not the point in the case under study.

Judging from sound alone I should not be surprised if Wes used a variety of movement; for instance I can hear evidence of
movement of the hand as a whole across the sitrings without rotation at the wrist. In slow-moving melodies he may also rest the
hand either on the scratchplate or even on the upper strings when playing on the lower, whilst using the thumb very much in the
Segovia manner - a Tarrega wiggle would not come naturally to a man accustomed to using the thumb as a semi-rigid unit in the way
we have been discussing.

Until we see Wes' playing at first hand, some of our analysis must be speculative but, as there are already players in this country
who are experimenting with the use of the thumb, it is of value to discuss the principles involved.

The same friend, himself a guitarist, commented also, that Wes appears to have no rationalised approach to the fingerboard in the
position-playing sense. He knows what musical sounds he wants and he goes, for them with "anything" that comes to hand. By
academic standards (insofar as they exist with the jazz guitar) he is an untidy, undisciplined and unbeautiful player who "gets by"
because he is amazingly agile and quick-witted.

Rather though is he a man from whom music pours like thought or speech (even though this, is contrary to his own view of himself)
who has a God-given instinct in relation to his instrument. Like all geniuses he makes his own rules but can safely be judged alone
by the music he produces.

Next month we will reach the consideration of his records delayed by the intrusion of the above thoughts.

August 1962

The first articles in this series were written quite some time ago and, since then, the overall picture regarding records of Wes
Montgomery has changed quite considerably. There was a time when, once a record was issued, one could depend upon being
able to buy it through the normal channels for a long time; deletions were announced annually, and they affected only a small
proportion of the total records in issue. Nowadays a record may be discontinued after a very short time only to be reissued in
exactly the same form some months later sometimes the deletion appears permanent for all practical purposes.

This explanation is necessary because it affects any list of recordings one might give; such a list might well be out of date, both as
regards new issues and deletions, by the time it reaches print. The following information is thus, as the world of commerce has it,
given "in good faith but without responsibility"!

FIRST RECORDS

The first available records of Wes in this country were the two issued here on Vogue and stemming from Pacific Jazz. These two
("Montgomeryland" on LAE. 12246, and "Blowin' the Blues" on LAE. 12224) are still, to the best of my knowledge, available here. I
do not know whether they are still in issue in the U.S.A. but, if Richard Bock reads this, perhaps he would drop us a line. Contents
of these two records were listed in the June issue.

The remaining records of which I know were made for Bill Grauer Productions Inc. of New York, under either the Riverside or
Jazzland labels. Some have been issued here and then withdrawn others have been issued and remain available, whilst others have
yet to appear in the U.K. though they are available in the USA. The only way to obtain reliable, up-to-the-minute information on
issues is by writing to Chris Whent of Interdisc Ltd., now under the wing of Philips Records Ltd. This is the best course unless you
have one of those rare record dealers who is interested in obtaining for you any records he does not have in stock anal takes a little
trouble to obtain.

The Jazzland record given below is, at the time of writing, available here but the position is very unclear with the Riverside discs. The
numbers given for these latter are the American ones (most of my copies have come to me by courtesy of Riverside, Interdisc and
Tal Farlow) but English issues of this label always carry the American numbers in identical form.

Here then is the Riverside / Jazzland list as at the end of June.

"The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" Riverside RLP. 12-320.
"The Wes Montgomery Trio"-Riverside RLP.12-310.
"Work Song" Riverside RLP. 12-318.
"Movin' Along" Riverside 12-342.
"Cannonball Adderley and the PollWinners"-Riverside RLP.12-355.
"Groove Yard" Riverside RLP. 12-362.
"So Much Guitar!" Riverside RLP. 12-382.
"Bags Meets Wes" Riverside RLP. 12-407.
"George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers"-Jazzland JLP. 55.

All these are 12-inch long-players now, with the 45s, virtually the standard unit of the record industry but in the realm of Jazz there
should be more 10 inch long-players to make more digestible lumps available to more people, through their lower cost.

My current information is that "Bags Meets Wes" is due for issue in the autumn whilst "Groove Yard" and "The Incredible Jazz
Guitar" are due for re-issue before long. "The Wes Montgomery Trio," so far un-issued in the U.K., is also scheduled for issue,
possibly later in the year. There are several ways of reviewing an output such as this but perhaps the clearest and best is to write
about each record in turn. This does not give the best academic cross-section but it does give the most useful indication to the
potential buyer which is the most practical approach: I will begin with the records known to be in issue at the time of writing (early
July).

"Blowin' the Blues" Vogue LAE. 12224: Only one Montgomery track on this but a beauty and the track that first riveted my attention
to Wes Montgomery. The record as a whole contains eight tracks of assorted blues, with a strong accent on the aspect known
unattracLively as "funk." Groups involved contain The Mastersounds (the pre-Wes Montgomery Brothers group), Zoot Sims, Harry
Edison, Bud Shank, Harold Land, Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Brookmeyer, Russ Freeman, and others. There are good solos from Jim Hall
and Billy Bean for liberal measure in a very satisfactory record.

IDEAS FLOW

"Montgomeryland Funk" opens with a riff-styled chorus ensemble, followed by three hard-driven choruses in singleline from Wes.
The tone is nicely recorded and is full and round, the attack is incisive and the ideas flow authoritatively. Three choruses follow from
tenor player Harold Land (a very "busy" player with a harsh tone that contrasts sharply with Wes' rounded sound) and then there is a
wonderful string of "chase" choruses in which, with Wes leading the way, the guitar and tenor exchange phrases, beginning with 8s,
proceeding to 4s, and finally to 2s, a device that is not used sufficiently and which lends growth of excitement. Wes' phrases are in
octaves and range from powerful invention to impish interpolation "The Champ" and "Someone's Rocking my Dreamboat." At the
point where lesser players would sit back and smirk at their ingenuity in superimposing another tune, Wes brushes the thing aside
and lets the force of his invention take control. His octave playing is eloquent, forceful, and mobile beyond anything Django ever
recorded and it bears the inflections normally reserved for a single-note line. Both with the octaves and the single notes the intensity
of feeling is obvious in the dynamics normally lacking in the up-tempo playing of others such as Barney Kessel. The tempo here is
about crotchet 160; not fast, but fast enough to level out the dynamics of most players. I strongly recommend this record for the
Wes initiate but with the reservation that its prime interest is in only one track of eight. This will be sufficient only if money is not
tight.
 
September 1962

On the whole Wes Montgomery seems to fall short of his best work when he is coupled with other "front-line" players, though the
generalisation is not without exception and other great artists do not seem to fire him as one might expect. The nearest to a
monumental outcome is reached with Milt Jackson, but even this fails to achieve the great heights one might hope for in
comparison with those reached by Wes an records like "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery." In this he has only the
residue of a rhythm section: Tommy Flanagan (piano) and brothers Percy and Albert Heath (bass and drums). Within the limits of
jazz expression and feeling this is a veritable microcosmos with its seven tracks of sharply defined mood and character.

Too often are the individual contents of long-playing records differentiated only by measurable quantities such as speed, key and
progression. Only the greatest artists have the capacity to bring real life and individuality to numbers to make each into a living
entity within its own ethos.
 
There is, for instance, no way of measuring the attributes that differentiate "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" from "In Your Own Sweet
Way," both slow numbers played virtually as guitar solos with only a piano release to each. Wes dreams his way serenely through
the first in what is a unique and beautifully artistic way, using octaves throughout (apart from two odd chords, plus two more on the
two closing notes) in the most eloquent way. The other piece is of a different world with its opening and closing passages in chords
and the improvisation in single-note, perfectly poised and unerringly developed. The brittle sophistication of the piece is perfectly
caught. When he does move into semiquavers it is at the right moment and the passage is shapely and not a mere piece of display.

ART CONCEALS ART

Art always conceals art and if you think "Moonbeams" is easy to play, you will soon find how mistaken you are - it is slow enough
for anyone of even modest ability to transcribe. Reinhardt too had his dreams, but never did he achieve so much serenity; the
volatile outburst was always round the corner.

Twice Wes touches his cap to others whom he respects. In the fast-moving "Airegin" it is to Tal Farlow, echoes of whom we can
hear in the rhythmic shaping of the phrases and their length (what Tal calls "fanning"). The earlier improvising in "D-Natural Blues"
has more than a suggestion of the feeling of Kenny Burrell. I fancy there is too a little respect for Jim Hall in the theme of "West
Coast Blues" which is; unusually, in three-four time.

"Mr. Walker" has a Latin-American styled accompaniment and some very prolonged busy-ness from Wes, and "Four on Six" is a
treatment of "Summertime." The last - named tune appears in its own right on another record and in both cases it is treated at a
fairly quick tempo and with the same curious twist of harmony. On this record however it lacks the Latin Americana of the other
playing. This particular record shows all the facets of Wes' technique and in several tracks there is the progressive development of
long solos through single notes to octaves and finally to chords that is found with no other player, even setting aside the immense
artistry of its execution. This reaches its ultimate in the last track of the record "Gone With The Wind." Here are six and a quarter
miraculous minutes of non-stop guitar.

The flow of invention never stops, the taste is impeccable and, when all is done, the technical command takes your breath away.
Every listener will find his own special highlights in this track. For me I might choose for mention (i) the underlining with responsive
octaves of part of the first chorus (ii) the sudden electrifying break into triplet movement in the second chorus at the half-way mark
and the sequential phrase that closes it (iii) the whole conception of the third chorus the first in octaves (iv) the melodic outline of
his first chord chorus the fifth (v) the lead-in to the sixth chorus in crochet-tripleted chords and its continuation for a whole half
chorus (vi) the sureness of thought and execution in everything from beginning to end and (vii) the way in which the piece builds
steadily from the leisurely single-line of the opening to the chorded closing sections.

LITTLE LEFT

The jazz guitar was never used like this before and one's first reaction on hearing this last band is to feel there is nothing to say and
little left to do except to marvel. How far you are from this reaction is a measure of the distance you still have to travel in your
appreciation of jazz and the guitar.

In playing like this it is the musical motivation that comes first. If this is not present then no amount of technique will disclose it.
When it burns in the presence of such a natural gift and with the intensity revealed here; thoughts of technical difficulty cannot even
enter the mind of the player. His fingers are directly linked to his musical imagination and somehow, without reference to technical
niceties and orthodoxy, the musical thought is transferred without impediment to the fingers and these wring from the guitar the
exact nuance of every note. This is in fact vocal thinking and the guitar comes nearer to the freedom of a wind instrument in its
inflections than ever before. At the same time, it is more, since the wind instruments cannot add the weight of octaves or the
colouration of chords to their line. Only the keyboard can do this and by comparison with the guitar it is inflexible.

The incredible jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery ranges from a delicate filigree to a full-throated and rounded voice of authority. I do
not propose to discuss all the records listed as fully as this one, though many tracks will merit detailed comment. The recording
quality of this one is good, though some of the others are far better. There is also a fair variation in the tone-quality of Wes' guitar
from record to record. Microphone placing probably played a large part in this.

One final tailpiece on "Gone With The Wind." over a year ago, with some trepidation, I played this track to Alirio Diaz at my home.
As it ended I began to lift the tone-arm of the gramophone. Immediately he jumped up and stopped me-"No! Leave it!" Seven tracks
later I finally succeeded in changing the subject! Though far from a jazz musician, Alirio instinctively recognised the artistry-
technically there was nothing that would have disturbed him in the least.

October 1962
 
Another record in which Wes has only accompanimental support is "The Wes Montgomery Trio" (Riverside RLP. 12-310), stemming
from a time in late 1959 when he worked regularly at the Missile Room in Indianapolis with Melvin Rhyne (electric organ) and Paul
Parker (bass). This apparently unpromising ensemble worked with wonderful understanding and, on this record, went far towards
alleviating my distaste for the electric organ. In the ensemble the organ is a real asset, though it burbles irritatingly when solos
become overlong, as in "Missile Blues" and "Satin Doll."

"Satin Doll" is in fact as different from Barney Kessel's extrovert rendering as one could travel; the technical wonder of his chord
changing being the only common ground. This latter quality reaches its zenith (probably amongst all his records) in "Missile Blues"
when, with its intermixed octaves, is leaves one limp and deflated.
 
The old Jerome Kern tune "Yesterdays" is taken at a moderate tempo and contains some touches of humour, such as the point at
which he ascends the tune in octaves, with so many chromatic intervals that it progresses more slowly (in terms of rise in pitch) than
it should. At this point where this becomes evident he swoops suddenly into the upper register as if in impatience. The effect
should be heard as it loses in the telling.
 
The finest piece on this record is undoubtedly "Round Midnight," Thelonius Monk's famous after-hours composition. Much is owed
to the wonderful organ accompaniment consisting essentially of sustained and exquisitely-voiced chords, played very softly. Over
this Wes plays the melody with little deviation and where he does deviate his choice of notes and decoration is truly lovely. The
middle section is in octaves. The improvisation is in octaves followed by chords and is positively spellbinding (as is the track as a
whole) in its beauty. The octaves sweep along, latterly, in a long phrase that recalls Sir Donald Tovey's remark on the Fifth
Symphony of Sibelius: ". . . ends with the finality of a work that knew from the outset exactly when its last note was due." It
compels listening in breathless silence. This track alone justifies the price of the record, even if it contained nothing else of value
which it does not.

The after-hours mood is even more pronounced in "One for my Baby" which concludes "So Much Guitar," a record on which Wes
again has the backing of piano (Hank Jones), bass and drums, plus a conga drummmer on some tracks. Sinatra may have made
this number his own property but he has certainly granted a substantial lease to Wes on this record

SPELL-BINDING

The same spell-binding is there as in "Round Midnight," though the whole mood is even softer and octaves are reserved for the
gentle underlining of terminal phrases in the tune itself. It lasts for seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds and not one too long.

The same record contains some excellent playing amongst which three numbers are particularly notable. "I Wish I Knew" shows
Wes's talent for paying ballad-type numbers with true jazz feeling though less well than some other tracks elsewhere. "Cotton Tail,"
the old Ben Webster "flyer," is taken at a pace that is right in the Tal Farlow / Howard Roberts bracket. How Wes manages to play
any notes at all at about 70 bars a minute, moving in quavers, using his thumb only, defeats even a rich imagination. Not only does
he succeed in this seemingly lunatic enterprise but he contrives also to be constructive to a greater degree than most people armed
with a plectrum. If this is not the greatest fast-moving jazz on record it is at least a remarkable piece of evidence of the level of
technique available to this man - a technique kept unfailingly under control when taste demands it.
 
In direct contrast to this is "While We're Young," a unique track in all Montgomeryland. This is a lovely song, recorded equally
beautifully some years ago by Peggy Lee (whose record I still treasure) and too good ever to become popular. Wes obviously feels
this way about it, too, for he plays it very slowly, in chords, and with the minimum of trimming. Even the longheld notes are not
filled in. He too feels the piece is good enough to stand on its own merits and plays it, with obvious affection, as an
unaccompanied guitar solo.
 
The remaining tracks are average for Wes ("Lucky So-and-So" swings very freely) though they would do anyone else real credit. The
conga drum created employment but has no other obvious virtue in this context.

IN COMPANY

Once a musician achieves a certain level of eminence the recording companies hasten to place him in the company of as many
other notabilities as possible. This gives rise to the inumerable "Bill Scroggs Meets Fred Crump" or "Charlie Cringe with the Sam
Snead Tee-time Trio" encounters. More often than not these fail to live up to their promise, though the occasional session comes to
life whilst the red light is on. Wes Montgomery has endured a certain amount of this treatment already and although the recording
fees have no doubt benefted his wife and six children, no real catalysis has yet resulted though some agreeable music has come
about.

In this category falls the record of "George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers" (Jazzland JLP.55), available in this country at
the time of writing. Though George is in the minority, the old Shearing sound of the earlier Quintet days pervades the record; it is,
however, more robust and purposeful than most of the original Quintet recordings in which Chuck Wayne's guitar, fine as his solos
were, sounded like an amplified plum pudding. Wes uses his full armoury in playing solos on nearly all the tracks - those on "Love
Walked In," "Love For
Sale," "Stranger in Paradise," "Double Deal" and "Darn That Dream" being
of the high order. Shearing plays little of the Latin American jangle that has lately bewitched him and in most of his solos he evades
the "Teatime in Palm Court" prettiness that is his other puristic flaw. This is a record that grows on one with repeated playing and is
one of the best of the "Wes Montgomery with..." offerings.
 
A common cause of failure in such enterprises is sheer incompatibility of style (even where mutual admiration exists) and quite
surprisingly Shearing gets along well with the Montgomerys (and/or vice versa). This speaks volumes for their adaptability and even
more since neither side loses individuality in the process.
 
January 1963

The seeker after a good introduction to the music of Wes Montgomery could do worse than make his acquaintance through
"Montgomeryland" (Vogue LAE, 12246) which, although one of the first records available here, has some of his most exquisite
playing. The personnel on one side is identical with that on "Blowin' the Blues" - the Brothers Montgomery with Harold Land on tenor
and a drummer. On the reverse side Harold Land gives way to Pony Poindexter (alto) and a different drummer. It is the first line-up
that is, on the whole, the more successful though both produce memorable Jazz.

With Harold Land, the side opens with "For Wes" (misprinted as "Far Wess" on the record), a very easy-paced piece in D Flat,
having a harmonic sequence well above average. (It is one of five Wes "originals" on the record). There are few Montgomery solos
that show so well his ability to build strongly melodic lines. This single-note solo is as lyrical and impassioned as any of Reinhardt's
and both its structure and expressiveness indicate some common ground between these two men of genius. There is the same
sureness in the building and release of tension and the same dynamic range. Their phrases are shaped not only in pitch and pace,
but also in volume and intensity of attack. Amongst the great technicians of the Jazz guitar this is one factor that readily sorts the
men from the boys. All in all, there are few more beautiful solos than this in the recorded range of the guitar in Jazz.

CARRIES THE DAY

Much the same may be said of the even slower "Leila," another of the Montgomery originals. "Old Folks" contains lengthy-ish solos
from both Harold Land (loquacious) and Buddy Montgomery on piano (eloquent) but it is Wes who carries the day with a relaxed
opening chorus in which Buddy interweaves his piano phrases with uncanny understanding; a solo beginning with single notes and
progressing to some intensely expressive octaves (treated with complete disregard for their difficulty); and the closing section
played solo by Wes in chords that reach to the upper limit of the fingerboard.

Such is the spell he weaves that the heavy breathing of Harold Land in his sustained notes beneath Wes' coda runs, is a rude
intrusion. The side is rounded out by "Wes' Tune," a fast-moving piece with two driving choruses from Wes that contain some
unusual and even "cheeky" turns of phrase. More than once Tal Farlow peeps over his shoulder!

The other side has exellent solos in "Monk's Shop" and "Summertime" (given a Latin beat and giving a hint of the potential speed of
attack of the famous thumb); a fair-to-average one in "Renie" and a common-time version of "Falling in Love With Love" that gives a
blues-slanted and original view from where Wes sat. Poindexter suffers from Land's Disease (a rush of notes to the bell) but his
instrument is lighter in weight and is less obtrusive in effect.
 
The two sides were recorded a year apart and, the sleeve annotater claims, Wes shows his increasing maturity. As the Land-
lumbered side is the earlier, I find it hard to agree with him. Whatever the truth of the matter, Wes is in wonderful form on both
sittings. There is a looseness and flexibility about his sound that is not often matched on record and his emotional engagement in
what he is playing is both obvious and fruitful.
 
Unless I am mistaken, "Bags Meets Wes" (Riverside RLP 407) is now obtainable in Britain. The meeting is a successful one. Wes'
high regard for Milt Jackson (who is one of Wes' best publicity agents) is evidenced in his tribute "Somethin' Like Bags" on "So
Much Guitar," and it is not surprising they should make memorable music together once given the chance. All such meetings, as we
have noted, are not inevitably worthwhile but both parties to this "handshake" are selftaught men of genius, with a strong penchant
for the blues. This forms sufficient common ground for most of the record.

HIGH SPOTS
 
High-spots on this very good record, from the guitarist's selfish point of view, are: The commanding stride of Wes' entry into his
solo in "S.K.J." - the entry of a man who is so firmly in the saddle that he does not have to perform any tricks to prove his right to
be there; the octave solos in "Jingles" and "Sam Sack" - the first is one of his most staggering and audacious essays in this vein to
date; the lovely and unhurried octave solo in "Stairway to the Stars," showing Wes' ability to stay simple whilst remaining beyond
the artistic reach of most people and his knack of picking on the "ear-tickling" notes; and finally, the chord solo in "Delilah" in which
he underlines, with chords, an improvisation that is clearly melodic in concept, apparently without a thought for the technical
problems posed.
 
In this last item at least he not only draws up alongside Milt Jackson but overtakes him with ease, reducing with his strength and
purposefulness, Jackson's not-inconsiderable achievement to a level of comparative doodling. That is not an easy thing for anyone
to do.

Riverside RLP 342, "Movin Along" (unaccountably printed as "Movin' Up" on the spine of the sleeve) has been issued in Britain and
since deleted. This is a pity; it is not even in quality but it houses some very great playing. It differs not only in personnel (the
pianist is our own Victor Feldman) from his other recordings but also in that here he plays some tracks on (6 string) bass
guitar.......... Wes does not need carrying and, what-ever one many think of the sound of the bass guitar (I for one find it a prize
bore), the way in which he handles this somewhat clumsy instrument is marvellous in its agility, certainty and musical exploitation.
No octaves, no chords, naturally. Octaves would be taxing and none too effective, whilst chords would sound muddy and ugly.
 
Of the bass-guitar tracks, "Body and Soul" is perhaps the best though it is a pity the common temptation to double the tempo in
the middle choruses was not resisted. Either you like flutes in Jazz or you do not. Like Berlioz' music, it is something few people
approach with indifference, one way or the other.

IRRITATION
 
I take both views according to the context and the thin tootling of James Clay contributes only irritation to my ears. Against the full-
throated sound of Wes' guitar it sounds faintly comical, though in the opening and closing choruses the two blend satisfactorily.
 
Of the remaining tracks the title piece "Movin' Along" is one of two outstanding gems. It is a blues, punctuated with sustained
chords that cut across the flow in a way that compels careful listening and gives the soloists opportunity to phrase, to exploit it.
Wes plays first single-note and then octave choruses that number amongst his best. The recorded quality of the playing helps
considerably, allowing the guitar's sound to dominate in the solos - he is not always as well projected in other recordings (for
instance in "Jingles" on "Bags Meets Wes," in the single-note solo). Even without this his choruses would dominate by their
authority and feeling, particularly the octaves with which he "preaches the blues" and shows how, when you have the creative
stature, you can take your time (using rests as well as notes for their effect) and building with simple, direct, diatonic notes on the
strength of clear-cut ideas. These choruses stamp the quality of Wes Montgomery, the fundamental Jazz musician, without
particular reference to the guitar.

The other gem is "Ghost of a Chance" opened in octaves formed into dreaming phrases clothing the melody, passing through
single notes and back to the octaves. The superficial resemblance to the earlier recording by Johnny Smith is probably not by
chance but, despite the soaring single-note excursions to the upper register in the middle sections and the close-spaced chords
that open the final eight bars, there is a whole world separating the treacle-filled perfection of Johnny Smith and the deeply-felt
creation of Montgomery.
  The final eight bars in which these chords are broken into by an upspringing stroke in tritones (in octaves) and a return to the mood
of the opening, are sheer magic the more since they follow a marvellously flowing middle eight. In this latter he is clearly carried
forward on the impetus of his invention and his thoughts have immediate access to his fingers. After this, the non-stop flow in a
string of swinging choruses in "Says You," containing little that would have come from any other player, is just about worthy of
mention. Only Wes himself could relegate this to the back page.
 
May 1963

Little remains now but to complete the Wes Montgomery discography as I know it. There remain five records of which four are under
the aegis of Riverside. These latter are all available in the USA but as the Riverside Record Company in this country has been
indifferent in its co-operation as the parent Company in New York has been excellent, I cannot tell you which are currently available
here.

"Groove Yard" (Riverside RLP.362) is the finest of the remaining records since it contains not only vintage Wes in liberal quantities
but also the fruits of the perfect natural understanding amongst the Montgomery brothers. "Remember" has some guitar/piano
passages that both recall and "cap" those of earlier teams such as Oscar Moore/Nat Cole and Billy Bauer/Lennie Tristano, in
relaxation and naturalness.

"Back to Back" (but see Vogue LAE. 12137 below) is unalloyed Wes with Monk's string basis in evidence, supplying that special
quality of looseness and movement the electric bass (for all its versatility) has never quite matched. That same quality is evident in
"Heart Strings"; for me the best track on this record and one of the very best on any Montgomery record. The tune is a Milt Jackson
original and a most outstanding one too; the main burden is so eloquent and beautifully harmonised that the release, though good
by most standards, sounds just a wee bit banal by comparison and a fraction out of character.
In both opening and closing choruses the three brothers produce a unity of cloncept found in few places other than the bands of
Ellington and (in a different way) Basie and probably in great measure due to the greatest of orchestrators - Heredity.

BEAUTY OF PHRASE

  "If I Should Lose You" finds Wes once more willing to deliver a worthwhile melody with little or no embellishment and then to
improvise on it with the emphasis on beauty of phrase; his leisurely movement is effective contrast to the filigree work of Buddy on
the piano. Other tracks are of high standard and the whole, adds up to a compulsive acquisition for the Montgomery Clubman.

The most recent release to my knowledge is of a session with tenor-saxophionist Johnny Griffin and the rhythm section from the
Miles Davis Sextet under the title of "Full House" (Riverside RLP. 434) including only six titles and therefore, room for the soloists
to expand.......... This grouping was assembled primarily because it was felt the right ingredients were at hand for drawing out
Wes' best work before a live audience. Many bad features of such sessions have been avoided the hollow sound; the far-distant
aspect of the soloists; the gallery-fetching, excessive audience intrusion and so on. At his best Johnny Griffin is equal to the
company he keeps but on occassion, he, like Harold Land before him, pours out many more notes than seem to serve any
worthwhile purpose. Happily he does so without Land's coarseness.

The rhythm section is a delight and Wes rises to their encouragement splendidly in "Cariba," "Come Rain," "S.O.S." and" "Blue 'n
Boogie with powerful solos full of purpose and drive; the octaves leaving one to wonder how he can think these passages so freely
(with so little concern for difficulty) and to execute them even at up-tempo in a way that makes it easy to forget they are not single
notes.
 
"Full House" itself is a very good example of the modern trend towards the use of 3/4 time for pure jazz. It swings as compellingly
as any 4/4.

LIKES THE TUNE

The remaining item balances the record beautifully but it is a little mysterious how it ever came to be included. The "My Fair Lady"
tune is a simple guitar solo miainly in chords, in the manner of "While We're Young" (RLP.382), with next too no accompaniment and
with no,apparent raison d'etre except that Wes likes the tune and thinks it is worth playing for its own sake. This delight in simplicity
and unadorned beauty, expressed in this way, does not lessen but rather emphasises his greatness as a musician - jazz, tutored, or
untutored, or any other kind.
    
The final three. records on my list involve Wes in sessions in which he is only one of a number of soloists. All have their moments
but seldom do they rise to the heights of Wes' own personal peaks. The best is that of 1958, one of the very first-released
Montgomery records but acquired by myself only since the last article in this series was written ...... It is "The Montgomery Brothers
and Five Others" (Vogue LAE. 12137).

The three Montgomerys are joined by five local and little-known musicians - two tenor saxophonists, a trumpet player, piano and
drums (Buddy M. plays vibes in this session) Who show more invention and discipline than many established "name" soloists and
certainly do little to lower the standard of the proceedings.
 
I wonder how many undiscovered Wes Montgomerys there are on various instruments, tucked away in the vastness of extra-
metropolitan America! The early Wes shows much the same characteristics as the present one, which is hardly surprising since his
discovery was so late in life. The confidence he has gained and will go on gaining from his new recognition will perhaps draw more
from him, but the hallmarks will not change. Octaves are sparse (only a few bars in one item) and chords are confined to the
slowest numbers solowise in the beautiful "Lois Ann" and in accompaniment in "All The Things," both almost private affairs amongst
the Montgomerys and all that one would expect from that.

"Bock to Bock" (now look back to RLP. 362) appears in its true form, as a tribute to the famous organiser of the session - Dick
Bock of World Pacific Records. The Later "Back to Back" was taken at a faster tempo and was all the better for it the original drags
rather stiffly at times. Buy this one if only for the slow numbers (in which Monk's electric bass is heard at its best). They are of the
stuff that endures.

"Work Song" (Riverside, RLP 12 318) has plenty of first-rate Wes work of all kinds but he is fractionally underrecorded and the
leader, Nat Adderley, monopolise too much of the playing time for my taste. His cornet is wavering in pitch and consistently
mournful in sound. There is also a great deal of the pizzicato cello work of Keter Betts (now bassist with the Charlie Byrd Trio) which
seems superfluous in the presence of Wes.