"Movin' Along" is an original blues composition by guitarist Wes Montgomery, first recorded on October 12, 1960, in Los Angeles for his Riverside album of the same name. The tune exemplifies the blues-drenched hard bop style Montgomery was perfecting during his rapid ascent from Indianapolis club performer to nationally recognized jazz innovator. Its melody features blues-inflected single-note lines delivered over a driving, propulsive groove that lives up to the title's suggestion of forward momentum. Montgomery wrote the piece for a session that paired him with James Clay on flute and tenor saxophone, Victor Feldman on piano, and a rhythm section of Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums, the latter two borrowed from Cannonball Adderley's working quintet. Producer Orrin Keepnews organized the date as a relaxed blowing session that would highlight Montgomery's authoritative tone and melodic inventiveness within a comfortable small-group setting. While the album also included well-known standards like "Body and Soul" and "Tune-Up," this title track served as a vehicle for Montgomery's own compositional voice. The tune has remained a deep cut in Montgomery's catalog rather than entering the widely performed jazz standard repertoire, but it captures the soulful directness and rhythmic confidence that defined his approach to the blues.
