"Airegin" opens Wes Montgomery's landmark 1960 album The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery with a display of the guitarist's extraordinary technical command and musical imagination. Sonny Rollins's 36-bar ABAC composition in F minor, whose title is Nigeria spelled backward, is taken at a scorching 292 beats per minute, yet Montgomery navigates the complex changes with the fluid ease that made him the most influential jazz guitarist of his era. His three-chorus solo progresses through his signature three-tiered approach, moving from single-note lines through octave passages to block chord improvisations. Pianist Tommy Flanagan follows with two sophisticated choruses that complement Montgomery's guitar work. Recorded for Riverside Records at Reeves Sound Studios in New York City, the album features Flanagan alongside bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, a rhythm section of exceptional quality. The Incredible Jazz Guitar earned Montgomery a wider audience and critical acclaim, establishing him as the preeminent guitarist in jazz and exerting an influence on every serious jazz guitarist who followed. "Airegin" sets the tone for the entire album with its combination of breathtaking speed, melodic beauty, and the warm, singing tone that Montgomery achieved by plucking the strings with his thumb rather than a pick.
