The Genius of Wes Montgomery

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  • Опубліковано 9 січ 2023
  • Wes Montgomery was a jazz guitarist who is widely considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. He is known for his distinctive playing style, which featured a strong, fluid technique and a unique use of octaves. Montgomery's career spanned the 1950s through the 1980s, and he released numerous albums as a leader, many of which are considered jazz classics. He was a pioneer in the use of guitar amplification and was highly influential on later guitarists, both within and outside the jazz genre.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 976

  • @zootmojo
    @zootmojo Рік тому +492

    I once traded fours with Wes, just not in the usual sense. He was appearing on a show called "Jazz" on WGBH-TV in Boston, and I was the stage manager. My job was to give various cues to the "talent." Toward the end of the broadcast (it was live), Wes was taking his last number out, but there was still air time. I held up a cue card that said, say, "Two Minutes." So Wes picked it back up for maybe another chorus, and then again started to take it out. But there was still more time, so I held up the "One Minute" cue card. And so it went until finally we reached "fade to black." My greatest regret in life is that I never learned to play an instrument, but at least I got to trade fours with Wes Montgomery.

  • @mongoarts
    @mongoarts Рік тому +145

    Jesus Christ, this man changed the whole trajectory or my life and career after being disabled in an accident. Inspired me to pick up the guitar again after 15 years and by all means saved my life. I’m no longer bound to the bed and have started a Western swing/Jazz/Acid Americana style. Thank the lord and of course Wes and your great videos. Namaste 🙏

    • @shjakes
      @shjakes 10 місяців тому +13

      So glad to know someone else understands that music is food and medicine. Be Well.

    • @lionheartmerrill1069
      @lionheartmerrill1069 8 місяців тому +2

      HALLELUJAH

    • @thoyo
      @thoyo 8 місяців тому +3

      So happy for you! Can you please upload some of your music? I'd love to hear it

    • @TheGtk444
      @TheGtk444 25 днів тому

      You use the name of Jesus Christ as an expletive and then at the end of your post you “thank the Lord“. WTF?

    • @YourTripleScorpio
      @YourTripleScorpio 24 дні тому

      The Buddha's in us all?​@@TheGtk444

  • @antlerking69
    @antlerking69 Рік тому +8

    Bumping On Sunset is so freaking cool...

  • @gitarrenpost
    @gitarrenpost Рік тому +29

    No guitar player compares to Wes. He is simply THE one. My hero, too.

  • @chrishibner
    @chrishibner Рік тому +3

    he is singing with his guitar..he takes you on a roller coaster ride without singing a word .

  • @paulcowham2095
    @paulcowham2095 Рік тому +164

    Wes is like a gateway drug into jazz guitar, or jazz generally. His playing is so beautiful and accessible to non jazz heads.

    • @jguitar23
      @jguitar23 Рік тому +9

      For me he's not just a gateway, but the destination◇

    • @teddypantelas
      @teddypantelas Рік тому +2

      @@jguitar23 He's the reason I play jazz guitar!

    • @lewikono2781
      @lewikono2781 Рік тому +3

      Same with kenny

    • @danacoleman4007
      @danacoleman4007 Рік тому +2

      Well said!!

    • @HaniJIsmail
      @HaniJIsmail 11 місяців тому +5

      For me, it was Kenny Burrell. I play a lot of Wes Records during poker nights to my non jazz head friends who will request jazz sometimes and no reaction. I put on Midnight Blue everyones like "oh yeah man this vibe is perfect what is this??"

  • @RhettShull
    @RhettShull Рік тому +14

    Wes is one of those players for me, I remember where I was when I heard him for the first time.

  • @chuckm4540
    @chuckm4540 Рік тому +57

    Thank you Rick. My mother Barbara was a huge Wes Montgomery fan and she introduced me to him through her albums. She passed away in 2019 and every time I play her Wes albums, it reconnects me to my amazingly cool, hip and loving mom. Barbara would have loved this episode, thank you so much.

  • @domenicgalata1470
    @domenicgalata1470 Рік тому +41

    Wes Montgomery and Grant Green were masters and had so much soul and feel in their playing.

  • @bananabob2185
    @bananabob2185 Рік тому +20

    I wish my dad had known of you… he was a jazz musician and music lover. You and he speak the same language… because you have that same ear. 💔💔💔🎼🎵🎶

  • @fredc5812
    @fredc5812 Рік тому +25

    As a young metalhead, I first heard of Wes after reading about him in Guitar Player.
    For some bizarre reason, I went and bought The Incredible Jazz Guitar album, my first jazz record purchase.
    I'm glad I did, it's a timeless classic and opened many new doors in my playing.

    • @davidzamora9973
      @davidzamora9973 7 місяців тому +1

      Hey I'm a metal head who would like some guidance into Jazz. Its deep waters to learn to swim in 😂 Got any album suggestions?

    • @David-mw3sb
      @David-mw3sb 6 місяців тому

      Airigin on that is beyond the beyond! I love the piano solo. Great buy.

  • @stratfanstl
    @stratfanstl Рік тому +78

    I can comprehend how someone can play some of those solo melodies on a single-note basis. I CANNOT wrap my head around how accurate one's finger placement has to be to play those kind of melodies as octaves, much less comping chords in the middle of them. Astounding musicianship -- both technically and melodically.

  • @Leehawkeyboy
    @Leehawkeyboy Рік тому +64

    His version of Round Midnight is incredible.

    • @Brokout
      @Brokout Рік тому +3

      I always come back to that version, just some of the most tasteful and intriguing jazz every recorded

    • @teddypantelas
      @teddypantelas Рік тому

      Which version are you referring to? The one with the big band? Or the live one the time UA-cam with his band? There are other versions of him playing it on vinyl.

    • @Brokout
      @Brokout Рік тому +1

      @@teddypantelas The one I meant was the black and white footage here on UA-cam with his quartet, it currently has 6.2m views

    • @teddypantelas
      @teddypantelas Рік тому +1

      @@Brokout I
      know the version you're talking about and I do the same thing. It's my Favorite! the one where you first see him as a silhouette int he background then a close up. Unbelievable!

    • @Brokout
      @Brokout Рік тому +1

      @@teddypantelas Yes that’s the one! Absolutely incredible piece of footage, just so jazzy and cool, I can’t get enough!

  • @tspicks4360
    @tspicks4360 Рік тому +20

    Melody, rhythm, drive, TONE ... it's all there. Nobody did it better than Wes.

  • @danacoleman4007
    @danacoleman4007 Рік тому +3

    Wow! He plays so clean!

  • @michaelgregory2231
    @michaelgregory2231 Рік тому +140

    While many jazz cats had chops, Wes' playing overflowed with soul, feel, swing and a joy of life that poured forth from him like water. So natural and seemingly effortless.

    • @ursula3438
      @ursula3438 Рік тому +3

      Facts.

    • @JuanReyes-ht1bd
      @JuanReyes-ht1bd Рік тому +7

      ❤Yes. He was “Music”. He didn’t play dissonance just for the sake of dissonance like so many players today.

    • @alexlogan124
      @alexlogan124 Рік тому +9

      Oh Wes had chops for days, transcribing him is a struggle on some songs

    • @eldergeektromeo9868
      @eldergeektromeo9868 Рік тому +5

      so well put, Michael! So well put!

    • @sirhenners204
      @sirhenners204 Рік тому +8

      he had chops but he knew, like any truly great musician, when to use them and when to keep his playing simple and to the point. that is what makes any 'good' musician truly good- self control and dynamics.

  • @finoroverato7640
    @finoroverato7640 Рік тому +16

    Wes also had an incredible sense of rhythm. He was so in the pocket and that phrasing!!!It just doesn’t get better than Wes

  • @txicocamotl
    @txicocamotl Рік тому +101

    He is not an improviser but an instant composer.

    • @robertocrudo1967
      @robertocrudo1967 Рік тому +14

      just the same thing Joe Zawinul said once: true improvisation is instant composing

    • @daborean
      @daborean 10 місяців тому +6

      He remains the most lyrical guitarist to date, and probably forever

    • @jameshayden3952
      @jameshayden3952 10 місяців тому +1

      Quibble

    • @mauimarcus
      @mauimarcus 10 місяців тому

      ​@@daboreanyes

  • @MariUSukulele
    @MariUSukulele Рік тому +1

    DANKE for introducing this musician extraordinaire!

  • @2008topshelf
    @2008topshelf 10 місяців тому +1

    That camera work in 1965 was stupendous. It should be illegal to show that segment without post credits. Now the session is legend.

  • @somchaisainara9478
    @somchaisainara9478 Рік тому +13

    What strikes me most is that Wes' playing rhythmically is absolutely perfect - it seems he feels, hears plays like a top notch drummer. Absolutely stunning.

  • @xodiaq
    @xodiaq Рік тому +63

    What I loved about Wes is that his tone cuts through everything without ever having to “raise his voice”. Nothing ever feels shouty about his playing, its dynamic without ever feeling aggressive.

    • @SimpleManGuitars1973
      @SimpleManGuitars1973 Рік тому +4

      It's so mellow but so absolutely powerful. I would love to know how "loud" he sounded live. Stevie Ray Vaughan was the same way in the sense that he could play at whisper volume and still sound insanely powerful. Even though he was for sure generally pushing a ton of air. I would love to know who Wes sounded at full volume in the room. I absolutely adore everything about him.

    • @David-mw3sb
      @David-mw3sb 6 місяців тому

      Brilliant observation

  • @RichSpencer-tl6or
    @RichSpencer-tl6or 8 місяців тому +2

    Every instrument is a conversation... amazing

  • @dionysisdaras1289
    @dionysisdaras1289 Рік тому +5

    Wes' solo on Besame Mucho is some of the grooviest,tastiest,soulful guitar i've ever heard.A giant of guitar

  • @EnigmaEuslam
    @EnigmaEuslam Рік тому +152

    Tone, Taste, Technique, Soul, Sophistication…he had absolutely everything….that’s timeless. He’d be just as influential if he arrived on the scene TODAY! Nothing need be added or subtracted. His playing is perfect.

    • @Rigo009
      @Rigo009 Рік тому +4

      not to mention TIME

    • @EnigmaEuslam
      @EnigmaEuslam Рік тому +4

      @@Rigo009 I feel ashamed for leaving it out!

    • @cattleprods911
      @cattleprods911 Рік тому +2

      Yeah, he’s the epitome of guitar, another Django, etc. Perfect artist in every sense. I can’t get enough.

    • @EnigmaEuslam
      @EnigmaEuslam Рік тому +2

      @@cattleprods911 I vaguely recall a quote from Joe Pass about Charlie Christian, Django and Wes and how that was about all that you needed to listen to…he’s wasn’t wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the stuff that’s happened on guitar since then but do in NEED anything more than Joe’s prescription to keep me busy for the rest of my life? Nope!

    • @samrapheal1828
      @samrapheal1828 Рік тому +1

      "Correctamondo."✔

  • @pnkbiankii
    @pnkbiankii Рік тому +43

    I’m not a musician, but when I was in high school (mid-1960s), and buying music albums was very expensive for me, out of the dozen albums I owned three of them were Wes Montgomery. So loved.❤️

  • @jdbailey442
    @jdbailey442 Рік тому +155

    The entire Montgomery family was immensely talented. Monk Montgomery was an excellent bassist and played with his thumb . My Dad listened to Wes often when I was a child.

    • @stuksy4321
      @stuksy4321 Рік тому +7

      His grandson is an actor in one of the Star Trek shows, too. (wikied it)

    • @ChunkyMonkaayyy
      @ChunkyMonkaayyy Рік тому +4

      Monte Montgomery too? Lol, joking but search YT for his Little Wing cover, man I love it!!!

    • @Ribbonium
      @Ribbonium Рік тому +7

      There was also younger brother Buddy Montgomery, a great pianist and vibraphonist. A few years ago I went to an audiology appointment and the technician working with me turned out to be Buddy Montgomery's daughter, niece of Wes. One of Buddy's most famous tunes was named for and dedicated to her.

    • @jdbailey442
      @jdbailey442 Рік тому +1

      @@Ribbonium Yes and they also had a sister named Ervena who played piano. That is amazing that you met his niece!

    • @brentharmonmusicproduction
      @brentharmonmusicproduction Рік тому +2

      @@stuksy4321 Yeah Anthony Montgomery who played Ensign Travis Mayweather and Anthony is musician in his own right too.

  • @danielrosadoguitar
    @danielrosadoguitar Рік тому +63

    Forgot to mention ”The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery", an album I will always cherish.

    • @ElementsUnknown
      @ElementsUnknown Рік тому +3

      My favorite too, picked it up from the library after reading about him in Guitar Player. It blew me away, there is no one like him.

    • @geraldfriend256
      @geraldfriend256 Рік тому +1

      Great album

    • @ronbo11
      @ronbo11 Рік тому +2

      Yes, that is probably his most accomplished studio album. I know it is always given 5 star reviews in Jazz publications and is one of the core collection albums in the Penguin Jazz Guide. Plus, it's just such an incredible album to listen to any time.

    • @louiebee6745
      @louiebee6745 Рік тому +3

      Yes right up there with Kind Of Blue and A Love Supreme as foundations for any jazz collection.

  • @JeffreyBrock58
    @JeffreyBrock58 Рік тому +26

    When my father passed in 1970 i inhabited his record collection which included probably the entire Wes Montgomery catalog. I have loved his playing my entire life.

  • @wendeldoubleday8539
    @wendeldoubleday8539 Рік тому +14

    Rick, can’t thank you enough for bringing back to life these seminal guitarists such as Wes. Your appreciation and analysis of these great musicians open new doors for many of us and help us expand our own love of music.

  • @OuterGalaxyLounge
    @OuterGalaxyLounge Рік тому +9

    Being a huge Wes fan since the '80s when I first started buying Wes CD's I don't feel so alone anymore trying to get people to bloody listen to him.

  • @spencer_mynatt
    @spencer_mynatt Рік тому +9

    Wes Montgomery is a real guitar player. His phrasing is so good that it sounds composed or preplanned

  • @Fillmore668
    @Fillmore668 Рік тому +194

    Wes’ playing has always taken my breath away. It’s always seemed more natural and ‘conversational’ than almost anything else. I’m not a religious person, but for some reason I think of Wes’ playing as “From God’s lips to Wes’ fingers…”

    • @markdettra1794
      @markdettra1794 Рік тому +5

      If you're not against God . . . . you're FOR Him.

    • @wesboundmusic
      @wesboundmusic Рік тому +5

      I find that to be a very appropriate and neat encapsulation of his art, I might have to borrow that expression here and there, @Fillmore668 🙂

    • @Daniel-Strain
      @Daniel-Strain Рік тому +9

      I'm the same way. I have no supernatural beliefs, but when I hear Santana playing Soul Sacrifice - those guys in my book are summoning magic, like pulling the divine essence from the earth, up through their bodies, and out into the world. Even with a completely naturalistic view of the world, there are things in music that tap into some kind of underlying order and dynamics in the cosmos and bring it out to be felt. Probably similar experiences that formed the basis of spirituality and religion, even if we all disagree over the implications and interpretations of those experiences.

    • @dwarfshortage244
      @dwarfshortage244 Рік тому

      Great player, but what a load of hippy tosh.

    • @vaughnhollund5316
      @vaughnhollund5316 Рік тому +4

      You're either with Wes or against us

  • @mv9787
    @mv9787 Рік тому +18

    I don’t know how many actually understand Wes’s value as a musician. Same goes for so many great jazz players who are not with us. Chet Baker, Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck. I would include Sergio Mendez also. He was a jazzanova pioneer. World needs more jazz right now

    • @michaelbrickley2443
      @michaelbrickley2443 10 місяців тому +2

      Generally, musicians get it more than regular folks but being a “regular” person who hung with musicians I learned a lot about what they liked and why. I also had the ear to appreciate a lot of things that others didn’t get right away. I remember hearing Wes and being transported to a place called Music Heaven. He was one bad cat

    • @rfichokeofdestiny
      @rfichokeofdestiny 9 місяців тому +2

      Sergio Mendez is one of those people who is known by the general public, if they’re known at all, for one crossover pop song that got air play. But his jazz playing is out of this world. George Benson is another one of those people. And you can really hear Wes Montgomery’s influence on him when you listen to his solos (even the extended solos on the pop hits).

    • @mv9787
      @mv9787 9 місяців тому +2

      @@rfichokeofdestiny Yeah I love George Benson and true, you can hear Wes in his playing

    • @apro109
      @apro109 6 місяців тому

      100% on Sergio. Incredibly tasteful comping on every single Brazil '66 tune, always spot on in the way he drives the track with exactly what it needs. Vastly under-appreciated.@@rfichokeofdestiny

  • @JavierCerecer
    @JavierCerecer Рік тому +1

    I was on a family road trip, early 2000s on our way to San Francisco from southern Arizona. Stopped for a coffee, my dad went to a music shop and came out with the Boss Guitar CD on his hands and said to me. “Ok kid, I want to show you something. This is going to be great” - I can’t tell you how many times we played that CD over and over - I’ll cherish that moment and that album for the rest of my life.

  • @boomerdell
    @boomerdell Рік тому +67

    Wes Montgomery is such a rare gem that I sometimes forget what instrument he's playing, and I mean that in the best way possible. My mind isn't sure and doesn't care at all if it's experiencing a horn, keys, voice, and so on. It's so melodic, so beautiful, and so very intriguing that I am always drawn in. It's staggering.

  • @troubleondemand7703
    @troubleondemand7703 Рік тому +17

    Wes's work with Jimmy Smith is some of my favorite music of all time! Love those two together.

    • @markdettra1794
      @markdettra1794 Рік тому +3

      So agree ! Further Adventures of Jimmy & Wes.

    • @madmanmoon4038
      @madmanmoon4038 Рік тому +1

      Yes! Fantastic stuff!!

    • @georgeross4261
      @georgeross4261 Рік тому +1

      One aspect of Wes’ albums with Jimmy that Rick didn’t mention… its a master class in comping. His comping behind Jimmy is as amazing in how he develops ideas which complement Jimmy’s playing and groove like crazy!

  • @philipatoz
    @philipatoz Рік тому +52

    Wes is the one who made me first fall in love with jazz guitar - 40 years ago. He's the one that got me to playing with octaves. I can't imagine just how wonderful it would be to have been at a table down front of Wes in a small club. To me Wes, Joe Pass, Django - these are the grandfathers all jazz guitarists greatly owe!

    • @L5player
      @L5player Рік тому +10

      As a budding guitarist of 17, and determined to quit playing rock and learn jazz, I sat with a fellow HS guitarist in a small club in DC (Bohemian Caverns) on one cold night in 1967, about 15 feet away from the stage and watched this incredible man completely wow the crowd. If memory serves, he began the set with "I Could Write a Book"--a tune I don't think he ever recorded.
      It was Wes' only visit, as far as I'm aware, to the nation's capital where I lived until a few years ago. Six months after that wonderful night, he was gone. But if I had one day to live over again, I do believe that would be the one.

    • @SimpleManGuitars1973
      @SimpleManGuitars1973 Рік тому

      Charlie Christian belongs on that list to me as well.

    • @philipatoz
      @philipatoz Рік тому +1

      @@SimpleManGuitars1973, absolutely, Charlie is another pioneering giant, I should have mentioned! And he was playing amazing stuff no one else could yet do, with lots of single-note runs, imitating horn players. So influential, and yet he didn't live past about 25. Plus he was playing with orchestras using a tiny Gibson amp with one 12-inch speaker.

    • @SimpleManGuitars1973
      @SimpleManGuitars1973 Рік тому

      @@philipatoz Yeah he was probably the most important electric player to ever live when you really think about just the concept of the instrument itself. I'm a HUGE Clapton and Jimi fan and all that came after but Charlie put the electric guitar out front and was an absolutel trailblazer for guys like BB and T Bone and all the influence they had. He was basically the archetype.

  • @rjp63vip
    @rjp63vip Рік тому +1

    Rick uour enjoyment and appreciation of Wes is beautiful to behold. Wes takes us on a quest of marvel magnificence and magic through the medium of music . Pure genius!

  • @MC-mi4ck
    @MC-mi4ck Рік тому +18

    "The Incredible Jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery" is his best album in my opinion. And it is one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.

  • @Nuker54
    @Nuker54 Рік тому +23

    Why is it my foot starts tapping 2 seconds into any song Wes plays?? Love this man. And he doesn’t use a pick but still so accurate and precise. A guitar legend.❤️👍

    • @felinekaiju4517
      @felinekaiju4517 Рік тому +1

      Wes has so much soul, it oozes out of his fingers. I think the biggest advantage of a pick, is attack. But with jazz, finger picking is has that smoother sound. That's why I also love Ritchie Kotzen, he shreds without a pick, but has awesome bluesy overtones.

  • @DRChevalier
    @DRChevalier Рік тому +16

    Wes remains an example of the kind of musician who inspires and causes other musicians to aspire. That he only used his thumb is also quite amazing. I really appreciate that you take the time to make these videos Rick. Your enthusiasm is contagious

  • @mattjohnson6227
    @mattjohnson6227 2 місяці тому +2

    The version of Cariba Rick listens to in the video is one of the finest examples of jazz guitar period.

  • @Vigilante311
    @Vigilante311 4 місяці тому +1

    He's like django, everything he plays is melody, there's never any bum notes or notes out of place, truly an exquisite master of his craft, he's one of those guitarists where I think "how could someone be that good?" R.I.P my brother of guitar

  • @teddypantelas
    @teddypantelas Рік тому +11

    Wes is King! Anytime you put some thing up about Wes you’ve got my attention. you’re right about him being all about melody. Who else can play one chorus on Georgia and make it a perfect solo that you’ll never forget but Wes. With every chorus he starts a new statement and then follows through with that statement and the next course is another new statement that he follows through. This is what always struck me about Wes, the beginning of every chorus He makes a new melody statement to build on. He never runs out of ideas and his single line playing is absolutely unbelievable, perfect, phrasing and speed without a pic using his thumb and going back-and-forth with it instead of just down strokes and hammer ons or pull offs. . Wes is the reason why I am a jazz guitarist . Thank you Wes for all you have given us, which will always live on!

  • @craigward1611
    @craigward1611 Рік тому +6

    I don't know Wes Montgomery well but what struck me was how his signal note work sounds like a piano. When playing with a piano I couldn't tell which was which much of the time. Awesome player and Rick's enthusiasm just made it all better.

  • @christophermitchum6829
    @christophermitchum6829 Рік тому +1

    Bes.. Wes...grew up with that bumpin' on sunset. I owe literally All my git 2 him...Rick...once again...made an old dude smile 😎✌️💕

  • @sebbo1496
    @sebbo1496 Рік тому +3

    wes was basically a big band composer. always playing all thse little elements like he's hearing a whole orchestra in his head. that's why his playing is so damn entertaining. never gets stuck on one thing. always complimenting what he just played a second before

  • @DiegoooTech
    @DiegoooTech Рік тому +11

    Wes and Jimmy Smith are my favourites in their mood. One of the best guitar and one of the best Hammond and organ player of all time. Thy together are unbeliavable. Top Music. I only miss Joey De Francesco.

  • @1019caveman
    @1019caveman Рік тому +5

    Brilliant. it's like I could put my George Benson Jazz albums on and I'm hearing Wes Montgomery. I know it's a bit of a stretch, Rick, but Have you thought about reaching out and doing one of your interviews with George Benson and probably a bigger stretch, Herbie Hancock? Both living legends.

  • @roosterillusion1985
    @roosterillusion1985 Рік тому +4

    In my early 20s I started learning jazz guitar for the first time. I learned West Coast Blues, 4 on 6 and Giant Steps as played by Wes Montgomery and it changed my life forever.

  • @BuddyJackstraw
    @BuddyJackstraw Рік тому +1

    "The Thumb" he was able to grab and influence so many outside of jazz.
    "Let me just do my whole solo with octave chords, for Wes."

  • @soapninja
    @soapninja Рік тому +4

    Wes was a master of phrasing. Thats what has always stood out to me about his playing. He had amazing tone and an incredible ear, but his ability to improvise complete musical ideas is just unmatched.

  • @chrisfournier6144
    @chrisfournier6144 Рік тому +4

    Saturday morning and my bones are tired so I was surfing YT as I drank my coffee. I’m grateful to have landed here with you Rick. This tribute to Wes Montgomery is gonna gobble up my days and months coming up!

  • @sjion
    @sjion Рік тому +2

    The way he plays with his thumb reminds me of Jeff Beck. God bless Jeff.

  • @gregwasserman2635
    @gregwasserman2635 Рік тому +1

    I didn't know anything about Wes Montgomery growing up mainly because I wasn't listening to any jazz guitar. I "discovered" him much later in life and couldn't believe what I was missing.

  • @StevenRoby
    @StevenRoby Рік тому +5

    Just on "How Insensitive" alone, I could spend the rest of my life and never understand what he was doing on the guitar. That's the mark of Wes being the legend. To have the ultimate "wow" factor when you are listening, and yet be so melodic and brilliant. I wish he were still around to see live.

  • @rohanmillson3182
    @rohanmillson3182 Рік тому +3

    How on earth did he manage to create such a soundscape, using just the thumb on his right hand? Incredible...

  • @downbeats41
    @downbeats41 Рік тому +1

    Movin’ Wes is a phenomenal album. That west coast blues solo is his best IMO

  • @johnrudy9404
    @johnrudy9404 Рік тому +1

    Whenever I TRY to introduce someone to jazz and WM, I use that Holland video. Its production simplicity and virtuosity of musicianship is great. Yes, too young a death. To those who come to understand it, that video is a great
    Moment in music.

  • @benkatof5852
    @benkatof5852 Рік тому +27

    Love your features on Wes and Joe Pass. So well explained, and your love of these two masters shines through.

  • @vincentseverino469
    @vincentseverino469 11 місяців тому +4

    Didnt start playing til he was 20 or 21 insane

  • @fr1nkly
    @fr1nkly Рік тому +1

    Please don't retire.

  • @JBGWAlain
    @JBGWAlain Рік тому +22

    Wes was truly the greatest of all time. By far my absolute favorite. Everyone talks about his Octave soloing but he was so much more than that. He had an unbelievable sense of time and rhythm. Just try to transcribe any of his solos and you’ll be surprised by how difficult the timing is to get right! Thank-you Rick for the awesome video!

  • @jonathandorozowsky4005
    @jonathandorozowsky4005 Рік тому +8

    Wes's upbeat solos always sound like a celebration to me. Like, "this is party music!"

  • @QuinnJACKSON-zx1dx
    @QuinnJACKSON-zx1dx Місяць тому +2

    We all can admit that the name Wes Montgomery is the coolest name ever.

  • @glenndespres5317
    @glenndespres5317 Рік тому +1

    Rick. We just lost one of the great guitarists. Jeff Beck not an hour ago. Tragic. Still playing at top of his game.

  • @JohnHorneGuitar
    @JohnHorneGuitar Рік тому +3

    Wes was probably my first introduction to jazz. He is so relatable but repeated listenings are always rewarding.

  • @Pladderkasse
    @Pladderkasse Рік тому +12

    For me Wes ALWAYS outlined the harmony so generously and elegantly. And he had real groove, an innate ability to be in the pocket and sound comfortable there no matter what.

  • @Diegorfelix
    @Diegorfelix Рік тому

    Wes trios are always crazy to hear.

  • @johnboleyjr.1698
    @johnboleyjr.1698 Рік тому +1

    One of my absolute biggest influences on guitar. I figured out so much by listening to the records "A Day In The Life", and "Tequila".

  • @claborn79
    @claborn79 Рік тому +3

    I went through a big Wes Montgomery phase in high school. I started incorporating octave-style riffs and solos into my rock band's repertoire.

  • @tonyperiphoto
    @tonyperiphoto Рік тому +4

    A side note. Wes uses his guitar strap tied to the headstock. He and so many great guitarists play like this to balance the guitar. Yet no guitar makers seem to set up a strap pin for this style of holding the guitar. Ive never seen a photo of wes playing his guitar any other way.
    I like his 1950s recordings very much, some only recently issued. Wes and Charlie Christian are still the two who make you smile every time you hear them play the guitar.

    • @johnmcgrath8886
      @johnmcgrath8886 Рік тому +1

      About that, I've wondered why he tied it that way and came to think that an L5 if used upright would push up your shoulder too much and also keep the fretboard out of view a little, By tying the strap to the headstock you can push the bottom of the guitar away from you, lowering the height by tilting the guitar and you shoulder is more relaxed and the fingerboard is angled back to you. This only works if you're sitting down.

    • @sheptak28
      @sheptak28 10 місяців тому

      George Benson describes in an interview how he first saw pictures of Wes with the strap attached to the headstock, before he actually heard him. He figured that only a hick would do something like that. Needless to say, he changed his opinion.

  • @kenderoche2025
    @kenderoche2025 Рік тому

    "Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes" turned this young rocker's head around in the early 70's.

  • @jonbirmingham6005
    @jonbirmingham6005 Рік тому +2

    When I was about 20 in the early 80’s I heard 4 on 6 for the first time and it was a “musical” life changing experience. I realized where Duane Allman got his octaves from ha! Since that time I have been a dedicated fan. As you so rightly said he was the most melodic player on the planet, and IMHO, followed by Joe Pass whom as you stated got it from Wes.

  • @PierceThirlen2
    @PierceThirlen2 Рік тому +3

    I had been playing guitar for about 3 years and I played a gig at my high school in 1972. I played a solo in the middle of Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine" and was using some of Wes Montgomery's techniques, while not even knowing who Wes was at the time. I just picked it up from various jazz tunes I that had heard playing in the background. THAT is influence!

  • @1rwjwith
    @1rwjwith Рік тому +3

    Loved his playing, those octaves always intrigued me. The first Jazz guitarist I really heard, I was 14 when he died.

  • @cheesesteak59
    @cheesesteak59 10 місяців тому

    Oh, man. The nonstop ideas just jumped out of Wes. His version of Impressions is awe inspiring.

  • @getexis8685
    @getexis8685 Рік тому +2

    What a wonderful legacy Wes Montgomery left us...
    A good and deserved tribute to him who left us windows and doors open to an inviting sound house.

  • @louisgreen3915
    @louisgreen3915 Рік тому +3

    I remember looking through my fathers big record collection and pulled out some Wes. I had no idea what a jazz guitar could possibly sound like. I was into Hendrix & Santana at the time. I got into jazz by hearing my father play Mingus, Miles, Blakey, Coltrane etc, but this was something I could not imagine. It was the Boss Guitar album (Besame Mucho) and the organ and drums comes in realy light & delicately, and then the guitar comes in, realy thick and deep but soooo smooth. I was instantly hooked. Now Wes is simply apart of my musical landscape.

  • @ernestdenov3599
    @ernestdenov3599 Рік тому +3

    I discovered Wes when I was about 15 years old; I bought my mom one of those Creed Taylor albums because she liked Muzak, and that's basically what it was. But... one of the tracks on this particular album was "Caravan" and Wes' solo on it blew my teenage mind! I did think, "if only he used a fuzz tone," but I was an aspiring rock guitar player and that was my undeveloped brain. I started to fall in love with jazz within a year and Wes had much to do with that. Well 50 something years later, I still listen to him fairly frequently. There was something very magical about his playing and he spoiled me; I couldn't get into some of the fine jazz guitar players of the day like Kenny Burrell and Grant Green because they just didn't excite me the way that he did. Legend has it that he started using his thumb instead of a pick because he liked to practice with an amp and the louder volume with a pick kept his wife awake. Fortunately for him, he had a double jointed thumb which made what he did possible and his other 4 fingers just sat on the pickguard. If I had to choose a favorite track of his, it'd be "Gone With the Wind" from the album, "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery." He plays one of his longest solos on it. As was often the case, his solos had three stages, starting with single note lines, then octaves and concluding with chord solos. The chord solo on that one is just mind boggling; I highly recommend checking it out! Sorry; I'm incapable of writing a short post on Wes!

  • @georgesarapa3651
    @georgesarapa3651 Рік тому +1

    Wes is my go to whenever I need a dose of jazz guitar, really ANY guitar. I can't play the guitar to save my life, but as a drummer, I appreciate his sense of rhythm and timing and flow. Incredible. Also interesting that you mentioned Joe Pass. I got to share a drink with Mr. Pass when my buddies (both guitarists) and I checked him out at Scullers in Boston back in the early 90s. I honestly had no idea who he was at the time as I was in my early 20s and my only exposure to jazz was through my Dad listening to the Brubeck catalog. None the less, Mr. Pass joined us at our table, we bought him a drink and he shared some of his wisdom. I'm very grateful for that moment.

  • @kevintownsend3840
    @kevintownsend3840 10 місяців тому

    Wes Montgomery is the very reason I started to play the guitar, his octaves were what got me the first time I heard them.

  • @moudywaters
    @moudywaters Рік тому +3

    I love Wes Montgomery. I started listening to him in my late teens/early 20s and always thought he was such an amazing player. I wish Charlie Christian would have lived longer. I would have loved to hear them play together.

  • @oldestgamer
    @oldestgamer Рік тому +6

    Wes's appeal really stems from his ability to "swing", his playing swings so hard and is joyous to listen to!

  • @jackwmarsh
    @jackwmarsh Рік тому +2

    This is an amazing time to be alive, I must admit I never listened to Wes Montgomery but, after this video being able to have his "essentials" streaming from Apple Music, it's just a really cool time to be able to use tech to check things out!

  • @pip6632
    @pip6632 Рік тому +1

    Effortless just effortless, it is where we all aspire to be with whatever we choose to play or do. ZEN!

  • @CraftyMusicTips
    @CraftyMusicTips Рік тому +9

    There’s something weirdly enjoyable about watching another person that’s enjoying listening to music.
    In this case, it’s not just anyone… it’s Rick listening to Wes: what a great a great combo! It also dawned on me that every time that Rick makes a critique or an “oh yeah” that it’s in the spaces of the phrasing. This is someone who really knows the ins and outs of the tune intimately.

  • @DF-we4pt
    @DF-we4pt Рік тому +16

    Rick always spotlighting the true 🔥 I just got back from watching the original and I’m blown away by Wes’ right hand. Almost no alternate picking and almost all thumb. Sounds so angelic. Just goes to show there is no “correct technique”

  • @MrBongoagogo
    @MrBongoagogo 10 місяців тому

    Wes playing bumping on sunset blows my mind.goldern thumb indeed Rick.

  • @fredericonerkis3804
    @fredericonerkis3804 6 місяців тому +1

    No-one I know really gets jazz so it is great to have someone like Rick share this stuff with his enthusiastic delivery. That solo was unbelievably good. Wes Montgomery is a cornerstone of all that represents excellence in music.

  • @kookistar
    @kookistar Рік тому +11

    Wes’ typical syncopation is the most superb in the history of guitar. Ode to the legend of guitar!

  • @1bluetomato
    @1bluetomato Рік тому +4

    You make my day. Wes is still here with us. Always imbelievebal, so pure, so much music..

  • @bananabob2185
    @bananabob2185 Рік тому +1

    Playing guitar with his THUMB is a mindblower!

  • @donaldroberts7055
    @donaldroberts7055 Рік тому

    One of favorite guitarists to watch on TV in the 60 DS

  • @HNXMedia
    @HNXMedia Рік тому +4

    Giving some of those notes room to breathe. So clean!

  • @TOCS94
    @TOCS94 Рік тому +3

    Please, make a video talking about Michael Hedges and his legacy.

    • @EarthAltar
      @EarthAltar Рік тому

      Not many people know Hedges, but I see a lot of the newer players copping his style nowadays. He really was amazing, and taken way too soon. R.I.P.

  • @BrendonKPadjasek
    @BrendonKPadjasek Рік тому +1

    My favourite guitarist of all time

  • @skimanization
    @skimanization 10 місяців тому

    He's the guitarist who made love Jazz, those octaves and blazingly fast lines...Wow!!!

  • @torstenreil404
    @torstenreil404 Рік тому +3

    Rick, thank you for introducing us to artists like Wes. I had heard of him, but never really listened to him until now.