"Says You" is an original composition by bassist Sam Jones, one of the most prolific composer-bassists of the hard bop era. Jones wrote the tune around 1960, and it was first recorded for Wes Montgomery's Riverside album Movin' Along, taped on October 12, 1960, in Los Angeles with a quintet that included James Clay, Victor Feldman, Montgomery, Jones himself on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. The composition reflects Jones's characteristic approach to writing: swinging, blues-inflected melodies with a conversational quality that provide sturdy frameworks for improvisation. Jones was renowned not only as a first-call sideman for leaders like Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, and Oscar Peterson, but also as a composer whose originals such as "Unit 7," "Del Sasser," and "Blue Funk" became hard bop staples. "Says You" sits among his deeper catalog entries rather than his most widely covered tunes, but it shares their emphasis on rhythmic drive and melodic directness. The tune's lively character and accessible harmonic language make it a natural vehicle for extended soloing, and its inclusion on the Movin' Along session alongside compositions by Montgomery himself reflects the mutual respect between the two musicians during a period when Jones's writing was highly valued by bandleaders throughout the New York and Los Angeles jazz scenes.
