John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (6 March 1923 - 15 June 1968) was an American jazz guitarist and the grandfather of actor Anthony Montgomery. Image File history File links Wes_Montgomery. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: , County Founded 1821 Government  - Mayor Bart Peterson (D) Area  - City  372 sq mi (963. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: , County Founded 1821 Government  - Mayor Bart Peterson (D) Area  - City  372 sq mi (963. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Soul jazz was a development of hard bop which incorporated strong blues and gospel influences in music for small groups featuring keyboards, especially the Hammond organ. ... Smooth jazz is a controversial term, denoting a form of music that many jazz lovers do not consider to be a form of jazz, and that others do. ... In the wake of fusions decline in the mid-1970s, jazz artists who continued to seek wider audiences began incorporating a variety of popular sounds into their music, forming a group of accessible styles that became known as Crossover Jazz. ... Mainstream jazz is a genre of jazz music that was first used in reference to the playing styles of musicians like Buck Clayton among others; performers who once heralded from the era of big band swing music whom did not abandon swing for bebop, instead performing the music in smaller... Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... the very definition of a guitarist is cody allen and taylor hines because of there un ending guitar skills and awsomnes. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery, a 1960 Riverside release. ... Verve Records is an American Jazz record label, founded by Norman Granz in 1956, which absorbed the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records (founded 1953). ... CTI Records (Creed Taylor International or Creed Taylor Incorporated) was a jazz record label fonded in 1967 by Creed Taylor. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jazz guitar refers to the use of guitar in jazz music. ... Anthony T. Montgomery (born June 2, 1971 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) is an American film and television actor. ...

Biography

Montgomery was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. He came from a musical family, in which his brothers, Monk (string bass and electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone, and piano), were jazz performers. Although he was not skilled at reading music, he could learn complex melodies and riffs by ear. Montgomery started learning guitar at the age of 19, listening to and learning recordings of his idol, the guitarist Charlie Christian. He was known for his ability to play Christian solos note for note and was hired by Lionel Hampton for this ability. Monk Montgomery (born October 10, 1921 in Indianapolis, Indiana; died May 20, 1982 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was a jazz bassist. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Fender Precision Bass Bass Guitar is a commonly spoken phrase used to refer to the electric bass and horizontal acoustic basses, a stringed instrument similar in design to the electric guitar, but larger in size, commonly fretted and sometimes fretless and with a lower range. ... A typical Ludwig-Musser vibraphone. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Charlie Christian (29 July 1916 – 2 March 1942) was an American jazz guitarist. ...

Montgomery is often considered the greatest of modern Jazz guitarists. Following the early work of swing/pre-bop guitarist Charlie Christian and gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Wes arguably put guitar on the map as a bebop or post-bop instrument. Although Johnny Smith was the guitarist in the original New York Bebop scene, and Tal Farlow also made amazing contributions in the 1950's to bebop guitar, each of these men curtailed their own output in the 1960s, creating a vacuum that Montgomery naturally filled with virtuousic playing. While many Jazz players are regarded as virtuosos, Montgomery was unique in his wide influence on other virtouosos who followed him, and in the respect he earned from his contemporaries. To many, Montgomery's playing defines jazz guitar and the sound that many try to emulate. It is hard to argue there was a more influential Jazz guitarist than Wes Montgomery. Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Johnny Smith, (born John Henry Smith, Jr. ... Tal Farlow was a talented jazz guitarist. ...

Montgomery toured with Lionel Hampton early in his career, however the combined stress of touring and being away family brought him back home to Indianaopolis. To support his family of eight, Montgomery worked in a factory from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, then performed in local clubs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. Cannonball Adderley heard Montgomery in an Indianapolis club and was floored. He helped sign Montgomery to a recording contract and recorded with him on his Pollwinners album. Montgomery recorded with his brothers and various other group members, including the Wynton Kelly Trio which previously backed up Miles Davis. Lionel Hampton with George W. Bush Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908, Louisville, Kentucky – August 31, 2002 New York City), was a jazz bandleader and percussionist. ... Julian Edwin Cannonball Adderley (September 15, 1928 – August 8, 1975), originally from Tampa, Florida, was a jazz alto saxophonist of the small combo era of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Wynton Kelly (1931–1971) was an American jazz pianist, born in Jamaica. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

John Coltrane asked Montgomery to join his band after a Jam session, but Montgomery continued to lead his own band. Boss Guitar seems to refer to his status as a guitar-playing bandleader. He also made contributions to recordings by Jimmy Smith. “Coltrane” redirects here. ... A young Jimmy Smith, on the 1958 album House Party Jimmy Smith, nicknamed The Incredible Jimmy Smith, (December 8, 1925 – February 8, 2005) was a jazz musician whose Hammond B-3 electric organ performances helped to popularize this instrument. ...

Jazz purists relish Montgomery's recordings up through 1965, and sometimes complain that he abandoned hard-bop for pop jazz towards the end of his career. Even in his later years, his playing is still stellar, and it is arguable that he gained a wider audience for his brilliant earlier work with his soft Jazz from 1965-1968. During this late period he would occasionally turn out original material alongside jazzy orchestral arrangements of pop songs. In sum, this late period earned him considerible wealth and created a platform for a new audience to hear his earlier recordings.

Technique

Montgomery often approached solos with a three-tiered approach. He would often begin a repeating progression with single note lines, likely derived from scales or modes. After a fitting number of sequences, he would play octaves for a few more sequences, and then crescendo his solos with arpeggiated chords before finishing.

The use of octaves (playing the same note on two strings one octave apart) for which he is widely known, became known as "the Naptown Sound". Montgomery was also an excellent "single-line" or "single-note" player, and was very influential in the use of block chords in his solos. His playing on the jazz standard "Lover Man" is an example of his single-note, octave and block chord soloing. ("Lover Man" appears on the Fantasy album The Montgomery Brothers.) In music, an octave (sometimes abbreviated 8ve or P8) is the interval between one musical note and another with half or double its frequency. ... The Indianapolis skyline Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana. ... Block chords are musically notated chords or voicing built on the staff below the melody to create a four-part harmonized melody line. ...

Instead of using a guitar pick, Montgomery plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb, using downstrokes for single notes and a combination of upstrokes and downstrokes for chords and octaves. This technique enabled him to get a mellow, expressive tone from his guitar. George Benson, in the liner notes of the Ultimate Wes Montgomery album, wrote that "Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. That's why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people." George Benson (b. ... This article is about calluses and corns of human skin. ...

He generally played a Gibson L-5CES guitar. In his later years he played one of two guitars that Gibson custom made for him. In his early years, Montgomery had a tube amp, often a Fender. In his later years he played a solid state Standel amp with a 15 inch speaker. This article is about the American musical instrument manufacturer. ... Image:Gibson L-5. ...

Recording career

Montgomery toured with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton's orchestra from July 1948 to January 1950, and can be heard on recordings from this period. Montgomery then returned to Indianapolis and did not record again until December 1957 (save for one session in 1955), when he took part in a session that included his brothers Monk and Buddy, as well as trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who made his recording debut with Montgomery. Most of the recordings made by Montgomery and his brothers from 1957-1959 were released on the Pacific Jazz label. Lionel Hampton with George W. Bush Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908, Louisville, Kentucky – August 31, 2002 New York City), was a jazz bandleader and percussionist. ... Monk Montgomery (born October 10, 1921 in Indianapolis, Indiana; died May 20, 1982 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was a jazz bassist. ... A trumpeter may be one of several things: A trumpeter is a musician who plays the trumpet. ... Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (born April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American jazz trumpeter. ... Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles based record label thats best known for releasing cool jazz or West coast jazz. ...

From 1959 Montgomery was signed to the Riverside Records label, and remained there until late 1963, just before the company went bankrupt. The recordings made during this period are widely considered by fans and jazz historians to be Montgomery's best and most influential. Two sessions in January 1960 yielded The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, which was recorded as a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. The album featured one of Montgomery's most well-known compositions, "Four on Six." The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery, a 1960 Riverside release. ... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is considered by many fans and critics to be the pinnacle of Wes Montgomerys recorded studio work. ... Thomas Lee Flanagan (born March 16, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan-died November 16, 2001 in New York City) was an United States jazz pianist particularly remembered as an accompanist of Ella Fitzgerald and many other performers. ... Percy Heath, (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005), was a jazz musician, most famous for his 40+ years as the double bass player for the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ). ... Albert (Tootie) Heath is an American jazz drummer, the brother of tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath and bassist Percy Heath. ...

Almost all of Montgomery's output on Riverside featured the guitarist in a small group setting, usually a quartet or quintet, playing a mixture of hard-swinging uptempo jazz numbers and quiet ballads. In 1964 Montgomery moved to Verve Records for two years. His stay at Verve yielded a number of albums where he was featured with an orchestra, and during this period Montgomery's music started to shift in to the territory of pop music. One notable exception is 1965's Smokin' at the Half Note, which showcased two memorable appearances at the famous New York City club with the Wynton Kelly Trio. Wes continued to play outstanding live jazz guitar, as evidenced by surviving audio and video recordings from his 1965 tour of Europe. Verve Records is an American Jazz record label, founded by Norman Granz in 1956, which absorbed the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records (founded 1953). ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Wynton Kelly (1931–1971) was an American jazz pianist, born in Jamaica. ...

Music sample:

Wes Montgomery "Tear It Down" (1965)
Sample from Wes Montgomery's "Tear It Down," from the album Bumpin'
Problems listening to the file? See media help

As a considered founder of the Smooth Jazz school the album "Bumpin'" (1965) represents a model from which many modern recording are derived. In it, a full orchestral type of scoring goes beyond the artist's own ability to riff creating a wholistic concept of music and of Jazz. Longer clips from all of the tracks tracks on "Bumpin'" and other Wes Montgomery albums are found on Verve Records website. Image File history File links Wes_Montgomery_-_Tear_It_Down. ... Bumpin is an album by Wes Montgomery. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Bumpin is an album by Wes Montgomery. ...

By the time Montgomery released his first album for A&M Records, he had seemingly totally abandoned the straightforward jazz of his earlier career for the more lucrative pop market. The three albums released during his A&M period (1967-68) feature orchestral renditions of famous pop songs ("Scarborough Fair," "I Say a Little Prayer for You," "Eleanor Rigby," etc.) with Montgomery reciting the melody with his guitar. These records were the most commercially successful of his career.^{[citation needed]} A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A setting of the first verse of Scarborough Fair Annotation: The extract of the musical score represented herewith details a variation: the last note of the second measure may be rendered E not F. Scarborough Fair is a traditional English fair, as well as a traditional English ballad. ... Music sample Eleanor Rigby ( file info) Problems? See media help. ...

After his death

Montgomery's home town of Indianapolis has named a park in his honor.

Many jazz and rock guitarists today list Montgomery among their influences including: Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Pat Martino, Lee Ritenour, Pat Metheny, George Benson, Pete Smyser, Chris Standring, Eric Johnson, Steve Howe, Yoshiaki Miyanoue and Joe Satriani. American guitarist Emily Remler entitled one of her albums 'East to Wes' in tribute to him. Devadip Carlos Augusto Alves Santana (born July 20, 1947), known simply as Carlos Santana or Santana, is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-born American Latin rock musician and guitarist. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Pat Martino (born Pat Azzara, August 25, 1944, in South Philadelphia) is a world-renowned Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer. ... Lee Mack Captain Fingers Ritenour (born January 11, 1952) is a prominent session musician, and recording artist. ... Patrick Bruce Metheny (born August 12, 1954 in Lees Summit, Missouri) is an American jazz guitarist. ... George Benson (b. ... Jazz critics have likened Pete Smyser to such legendary guitarists as Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, and Barney Kessel. ... Chris Standring (born 1961) is a British-born smooth jazz guitarist known for his heavy use of 1970s-style musical nuances. ... Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist and recording artist from Austin, Texas. ... Stephen James Steve Howe (born April 8, 1947 in Holloway, North London, England) is a guitarist best known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes. ... Yoshiaki Miyanoue is a Japanese jazz guitarist. ... Joe Satch Satriani (born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury, New York, U.S.) is an American guitarist and former guitar instructor. ... Emily Remler (September 18, 1957 - May 4, 1990) was an American jazz guitarist who rose to prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s, before dying young while on tour in Australia. ...

By some accounts, Montgomery has been the most influential jazz guitarist of all time, whose style has transcended into other forms of music, including Rock 'n' Roll, Soul, and Rhythm and Blues.^{[citation needed]} Many songwriters and composers have written musical tributes to him, including Stevie Wonder and Eric Johnson.^{[citation needed]} Jazz guitar refers to the use of guitar in jazz music. ... Rock and roll - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the self-aware essence unique to a particular living being. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. ... Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist and recording artist from Austin, Texas. ...

Selected discography

• Fingerpickin' (1958)
• Far Wes (1958)
• The Wes Montgomery Trio (1959)
• The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960)
• Cannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners (1960)
• Movin' Along (1960)
• The Montgomery Brothers (1960)
• The Montgomery Brothers in Canada (1961)
• So Much Guitar! (1961)
• Groove Yard (1961)
• Bags Meets Wes! (with Milt Jackson) (1961)
• Full House (1962)
• Fusion!: Wes Montgomery with Strings (strings arranged by Jimmy Jones) (1963)
• Boss Guitar (1963)
• Guitar On The Go (1963)
• The Alternative Wes Montgomery (alternate takes for previously issued albums) (1963)
• Portrait of Wes (1963)
• Movin' Wes (1964)
• Bumpin' (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (1965)
• Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)
• Goin' Out of My Head (arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson) (1965)
• Tequila (arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman) (1966)
• California Dreaming (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (1966)
• Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo (with Jimmy Smith) (1966)
• Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes (with Jimmy Smith) (1966)
• A Day in the Life (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (1967)
• Down Here on the Ground (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (1968)
• Road Song (arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky) (1968)
• Willow Weep for Me (unused takes from the Smokin' at the Half Note session; overdubbed woodwinds and brass arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman) (1968)

Wes Montgomery Guitar On The Go This is an album cover. ... The Wes Montgomery Trio is an album of Wes Montgomery. ... The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is considered by many fans and critics to be the pinnacle of Wes Montgomerys recorded studio work. ... Milton (Milt) Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American jazz vibraphonist and one of the most important figures in the hard bop style. ... Full house is an album of Wes Montgomery. ... Jimmy Jones may refer to: Horace A. Jimmy Jones (1906-2001) - American Hall of Fame horse trainer Jimmy Jones (singer) (born 1937) - American singer/songwriter Jimmy Jones (boxer) - American boxer Jimmy Jones (footballer) player with Belfast Celtic Jimmy Jones (hockey player) (born 1953) - NHL ice hockey player Jimmy Jones (baseball... Bumpin is an album by Wes Montgomery. ... Smokin at the Half Note is a jazz album recorded by Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio in late June 1965 at the Half Note Club in New York City, and September 22, 1965 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. ... Oliver Nelson (1932–1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinettist, and composer. ... Claus Ogerman (born April 29, 1930) is a German musical arranger/ orchestrator, conductor, and composer, perhaps best known for his work with Antonio Carlos Jobim. ... A young Jimmy Smith, on the 1958 album House Party Jimmy Smith, nicknamed The Incredible Jimmy Smith, (December 8, 1925 – February 8, 2005) was a jazz musician whose Hammond B-3 electric organ performances helped to popularize this instrument. ... A young Jimmy Smith, on the 1958 album House Party Jimmy Smith, nicknamed The Incredible Jimmy Smith, (December 8, 1925 – February 8, 2005) was a jazz musician whose Hammond B-3 electric organ performances helped to popularize this instrument. ... Willow Weep for Me is a popular song composed in 1932 by Ann Ronell. ... Smokin at the Half Note is a jazz album recorded by Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio in late June 1965 at the Half Note Club in New York City, and September 22, 1965 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. ... Claus Ogerman (born April 29, 1930) is a German musical arranger/ orchestrator, conductor, and composer, perhaps best known for his work with Antonio Carlos Jobim. ...

See also

• Organ trio
• Jimmy Smith, a Hammond organist with whom Montgomery often collaborated in organ trios

An organ trio, in a jazz context, is group of three jazz musicians, typically consisting of a Hammond organ player, a drummer, and either a jazz guitarist or a saxophone player. ... A young Jimmy Smith, on the 1958 album House Party Jimmy Smith, nicknamed The Incredible Jimmy Smith, (December 8, 1925 – February 8, 2005) was a jazz musician whose Hammond B-3 electric organ performances helped to popularize this instrument. ...

External links

• Wes Montgomery Unedited
• Wes Montgomery transcriptions
• Wes Montgomery discography
• Biography at the All Music Guide
• Wes Montgomery guitar tabs
• Wes Montgomery Park (Indianapolis)
• Biography and tribute by grandson Anthony Montgomery - [1]
• Wes Montgomery tribute
• The Work of Claus Ogerman - extensive pictorial discography includes album scans, liner notes and more regarding Claus Ogerman's involvement in two Wes Montgomery albums.
• Find-A-Grave profile for Wes Montgomery

Discographies

• http://www.jazzdisco.org/wes/dis/c/
• http://www.edfila.com/wes/