Man of the Music
"My grandfather's work inspires every facet of my life. It inspires me to stay driven to succeed and to look beyond the restrictions society might wish I would conform to and become the person that I dream of being no matter what the odds. His life was an example of what one man's hard work can accomplish if he is determined enough to look fear in the face and say 'You aren't going to stop me from achieving the best I can be.'"
Anthony Montgomery, Grandson
 Few musicians in jazz history were more innovative and influential than guitar legend Wes Montgomery (1923- 68). He dispensed with the plectrum and developed a thumb-picking style, played octave and chordal passages with the fluency and nuance of single lines, and organized these astounding techniques in solos of daring detail and sustained shape.
Wes was the second of three musician brothers from Indianapolis, and the last to make his name nationally. He had briefly worked with Lionel Hampton from 1948-1950 but then he returned home, to raise his family, work a day job as a welder; and develop his revolutionary style in one and sometimes two gigs a night.
His brothers, electric bass innovator Monk and vibist/pianist Buddy, had moved to San Francisco and were enjoying success as half of the Mastersounds when Wes, still working organ gigs at home, joined them on several late-Fifties recording sessions. It was word of mouth from musicians like Cannonball Adderley that created a groundswell of interest in the guitarist and led to his Riverside recording contract in 1959.
The rest, which was all too brief given his unexpected death from a heart attack nine years later; was guitar and jazz history. He was an immediate success with critics, became the model for an entire new generation of guitarists and found himself just as eagerly celebrated by the general public. For a time, Montgomery retained the local trio featuring organist Mel Rhyne that was heard on his first recordings, but soon he would re-unite with Monk and Buddy as the Montgomery Brothers. Despite studio partnerships with some of the greatest players of the era (including Adderley, Tommy Flanagan, Milt Jackson, and Jimmy Smith and a couple of immortal live recordings with Wynton Kelly, not to mention an invitation to join John Coltrane's band (then a sextet with Eric Dolphy) that was briefly accepted in 1961, most of Montgomery's remaining work was in bands with Rhyne or his brothers. As Montgomery moved to larger labels his albums began to appear in the upper reaches of the pop charts.
The jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery, deemed "the biggest, warmest, fattest sound on record," still reverberates today, years after his death. Without a doubt the most influential, widely admired jazz guitarist since Charlie Christian's heyday, Wes re-invented the instrument with his thumb-plucking technique, his innovative approach to playing octaves, and his inventive, masterful execution of complex lines. On this show, we pay tribute to a musician whose name, in the short span of a 9 year recording career, became synonymous with the jazz guitar.
Despite the sophistication of his technique, Wes had no formal musical education. Rather, he came by his talent naturally and honed his skills through hard work. Born on March 6th, 1923 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Wes grew up making music with his brothers, several of whom later became professional musicians. Electric bass guitarist Monk Montgomery recalls buying his brother his first guitar, a four-string tenor, on which 12-year-old Wes demonstrated immediate proficiency. Wes learned by jamming with his brothers, and also by emulating, note-for-note Charlie Christian who inspired Wes to pursue jazz guitar professionally.
After his first big-time gig touring with Lionel Hampton's band, Wes returned home to Indianapolis, worked days to support his growing family, and played guitar in local bars all night. Meanwhile, Wes' brothers were enjoying some degree of success with their group, the Master sounds, and they invited Wes to record with them in order to gain the gifted guitarist greater exposure. Sure enough, word spread and soon musicians like Cannonball and Nat Adderley were flocking to the Missile Room to witness the new sensation. Riverside Records producer Orin Keepnews was blown away by Wes' virtuosity and signed him on for 25 sessions. Wes' second album, "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery," earned him "Downbeat" magazine's "New Star" award in 1960, launching his illustrious career.
Wes' lush, inimitable sound was a product of his unusual stylistic approach. Guitarist Lee Ritenour explains how Wes played with his thumb as opposed to a pick, freeing himself from rhythmic constraints and typical phrasing. According to Wes, thumb-plucking and his technique of "playing two notes at the same time an octave apart" were both accidental revelations. While Wes was not the only guitarist to utilize the octave approach, he did so with incomparable "freedom and fluidity," and the technique "became one of his trademarks."
When Riverside Records went bankrupt, Creed Taylor of Verve Records signed on the acclaimed guitarist, steering his career in a vastly different direction. Although Wes recorded a few straight jazz albums with Verve, including his triumphant "Smokin' at the Half Note," Taylor sought to bring Wes' music to a broader audience, convincing him to cover the R&B hit, "Goin' Out of My Head." The album, which earned Wes a Grammy, was his ticket to "crossing over" and making a name for himself on the pop scene, a move which enabled him to support his wife and seven children.
To the chagrin of jazz purists, Wes did not record another jazz album after 1965. It wasn't until he left Indianapolis in 1959 that that he would gain national exposure. Throughout his early career he would perform locally at night as well as work an during day to make ends meet. Sleeping was not a part of his life for he had a large family to support, and he was a dedicated family man. His claim to fame was all to short lived when he suffered and died from a heat attack at age 43. Wes's style can best be describe as mellow. He was self taught and never used a pick. He objected to its harshness and preferred the tone his thumb could provide. His mellow tone and use of octaves would be the formula for his success. His fans loved his sound and the critics raved his technique. Wes Montgomery left us all to soon, but he left behind a music that guitarist will appreciated forever.
In a remarkably brief time frame, Wes Montgomery, a kind, modest man and a magnificent musician, left a legacy of enormous distinction to the jazz community.
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