Keeping with the Jazz side of things, we move from an acclaimed Jazz pianist to and acclaimed Jazz guitarist. Wes Montgomery was one of the fore fathers of early Jazz guitarists. Along with the likes of Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, Wes was crafting what modern Jazz guitar would sound like in the coming decades. Wes also later influenced numerous players from Hendrix and SRV to Pat Metheny and Lee Ritenour. Early in his career his work was more focused on the Jazz side of playing. During the mid 60's his style became more of a pop jazz sound. In 67 he released his critically acclaimed 'Day In The Life Of' record which I have featured on the blog before. For today I'm gonna show off more the the Jazz side he created during his time on Riverside Records. 'The Artistry Of' takes some of his more well known tracks like 'Round Midnight' and 'Four On Six' and shows the listener just what a talented musician Wes was.
Much like the previous post with Monk, this comp is a good place to explore Jazz guitar. While I still think 'Day In The Life' is a great record, that record shows off more of the Pop Jazz sound Wes later adapted. With this we see the early workings of a legend, we see where the movement started and the influence it later had on many guitarists. It's a shame Wes died so young, it seems to always leave the listen with a sense of what if. I often wonder about that about artists who pass away in their prime, I wonder what would have happened, how would have music changed or been shaped. Thankfully the records live on for the future generations to discover.
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