The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery - Wes Montgomery

Recorded over two sessions in January 1960 at Reeves Sound Studios in New York, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is the album that established the Indianapolis-born guitarist as a major voice in jazz. Produced by Orrin Keepnews for Riverside Records, the quartet features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums. The program mixes Montgomery originals with standards, opening with Sonny Rollins's uptempo "Airegin" and moving through Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way," the ballad "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," and Montgomery's own compositions including "Four on Six," "West Coast Blues," and "D-Natural Blues." Montgomery's self-taught technique — playing with his thumb rather than a pick, and his pioneering use of octave melodies and block chord passages — is showcased throughout, producing a warm, round tone distinct from any other guitarist of the era. Flanagan's responsive comping and the Heath brothers' rhythmic support create an unhurried, swinging framework that gives Montgomery room to build his solos from single lines through octaves to full chords. DownBeat awarded the album five stars, and in 2017 the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry. "Four on Six" became one of Montgomery's signature pieces, and the album influenced generations of jazz guitarists from George Benson to Pat Metheny.