Who Are The Important Jazz Guitarists? 😎 ✅ The 5 Guitar Solos That Will Teach You Jazz: ua-cam.com/video/K7OO-s31pOU/v-deo.html ✅ Lessons on other great Jazz Giants: ua-cam.com/video/Potz7UATr8Y/v-deo.html
I really like Kenny Burrell's playing, particularly on his album God Bless the Child. And there's a guy named Ed Bickert that I haven't heard but who's supposedly one of the greats. Rik Emmett has spoken very highly of him. For two outside-the-box mentions, Chet Catallo's playing on those early Spyro Gyra albums was terrific, and there was a guy named Ted Hall who played in the most underrated fusion band in history, The Fents, in the early- and mid-80s. Their first album, First Offense, is actually here in its entirety on UA-cam. It's phenomenal if you like fusion with strong melodies and sophisticated playing. He passed away a few years ago, but Ted was a monster back in the day. Allan Holdsworth had high praise for that band. Oh, and Marlon McLain from the early Jeff Lorber Fusion could melt your face off with brilliant playing. Not so much on the records they made, but when they played live and stretched out, oh man! His choice of notes was fantastic. And of course, John McLaughlin has to be on any list of important jazz guitarists. I'll skip the rest of the obvious names that true jazzers know and more or less agree on. Really nice video, Jens. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I remember the first time I heard a Wes Montgomery song. I was in Rockford Illinois sitting in my uncle's basement. The song was Bumpin On Sunset I was completely blown away. His playing and sound were amazing. I hung on every note like never before. This is the moment I realized I truly loved and appreciated jazz music.
Jens, the quality of your videos continues to skyrocket. The editing, humor, continuity of information- everything. Really outstanding stuff you’re doing and I appreciate it very much. Great work!
Wes and grant are just so powerful. To many guitarist get lost bopping around losing the groove, and create unpleasant feel for non musical folks. Wes and grant just always in pocket building repeating lines into interesting response then lay back into the groove.
I started playing guitar in 1958. By 1960 I was playing with a local big band. In 1963 I joined the Navy as a guitarist and was shown that there were more guitarists out there other than my local hero Charlie Byrd. I was born in D.C. I fell in love with Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Howard Roberts, Charlie Christian, and many more. So many colors out there to enjoy!
Wes is really the best of the best.It is unthinkable to not know and seriously study his catalogue.(If your serious about Jazz) He fearlessly transcends the instrument.
When I started college, I was playing the drums, wanting to play nothing but big band jazz, and majoring in jazz percussion. At some point we were doing a transcription and analysis of Wes’s solo on Bumpin’, one of those orchestral tunes 😀 and just fell in love with it. I had never paid attention to jazz guitar. Now I’m in my 50s and finally learning guitar and while I listen to lots of guitarists in many genres, Wes is still my primary inspiration! I think the fact that he did use a lot of big band phrasing might be one aspect of his playing that caught my attention.
Jens thank you for this amazing video on one of my Jazz Guitar heroes! It's so great to also see your love of Wes' playing, he's humility and his inventiveness is unparalleled! Wonderful video my friend.
P.S thanks for mentioning my video in your description, we had to upload again (the audio was out of sync in the last third) and lost all the original views unfortunately, so the support means a lot my friend! You Rock/Jazz!
Wes's "I Wish I Knew" is just so unbelievably perfect to me, no words in the song but I know exactly what he was feeling and the emotions he wanted to talk about... nobody does it even remotely like him ❤️
When Wes first recorded he was termed "'Just another Blues guitarist" by a reviewer ...this was noted on the sleevenotes on the reverse of one of his 1st albums by Orrin Keepnews, who was appalled. When George Benson asked Wes to show him some ideas Wes refused because , as he said "'I can'tt because i'm just learning myself". Humility is the key .
With my limited knowledge, jazz is like the days of the week, everyday may seem different, but the true beauty of reaching Sunday is appreciating how we got there, and hopefully smiling that day, and partway through.
Wes was the one and only. It doesnt really matter whether he played a guitar - he was a great musician first and foremost. He´s got it all.. most of all, an incredible rhythm feel.. (just his comping is out of this world), and building on that, the phrasing and melodic invention you cant find anywhere else... maybe only Charlie Parker ? You know.. it just flows so naturally.. like breathing
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these amazing videos! When I was first learning jazz, one of my favorite contemporary guitarists was Ronny Jordan, I did not realize how much he adopted from Wes Montgomery’s style until I listened to more Wes Montgomery.
To me the most important thing about Wes (and why he's the greatest player) is that he's like Pres. Not only is everything an idea, it's a great idea. Pure song, as though bullshitting were not even an option. Real jazz music. That's Wes to me.
Wes's solo on No Blues on Smokin' at the Half Note is truly a master class on everything you are talking about. It might be has best recorded solo of all time!
The Four On Six solo on that album is absolutely outrageous but man I love the No Blues solo too and was literally just listening to it and playing along earlier. I would highly recommend you look up this alternate take of Four On Six from that album where Wes goes on an octave run that literally just seems inhuman. His talent was absolutely other worldly.
@@SimpleManGuitars1973 The solo on that version of 4 on 6 might be Wes's best ever studio recording. I've always thought of it as a perfect take (this despite Paul Chambers coming back in prematurely after some trades with Jimi Cobb, stepping ever so slightly on his drum solo).
Videos like this make UA-cam worthwhile for me. The breakdown of of phrasing by motif, call, and response, especially as applied to Bird, was great. Also interesting to know Wes didn't know theory and was just creating the structure of the solos intuitively. Fascinating.
Montgomery was a genius at fine tuning the intricacies of a chord melody, which not only gave it a big band organish sound, but sounded as if a flow of different instruments stood out to scoop the sutile parts or highlight the melody as it progressed. Besides that, one of his tools was the flesh of his thumb and, I suspect, his palm to gently mute-release as he glided his thumb across the strings to magnify the jazzy archtotop tone several fold. But try as you wish, his thumb/palm method and all the jazz chords you can muster, without his ability to also hear and arrange songs, you will not sound so magical, from my experience.
This video is not only confirmation of the amazing guitarist and educator Jens Larsen is, but a testament that he has studied UA-cam and has become a masterful content creator. Standing ovation. Next level
Wow., like a dream come true, never believed I could listen to Wes Montgomery & actually follow his music., of course, that’s the advantage we have as Jen’s Larson students.,
Wow everything on point! Wes always a master forever beloved of Jazz legends, any guitarist would sure hear him non stop, Pat metheny a complete revolutionary of our age keeping the essentials that make Jazz. Thanks!
Great video, Jens, I agree with everything you say. Regarding the question "Did Wes know music theory?"---- Wes was self-deprecating about his knowledge and abilities. I saw a George Benson interview where George describes seeing Wes in a club as a young man, and asking Wes for guitar lessons. Wes refused, saying "How can I give you lessons when I'm still learning to play myself?" I think the short answer for Wes Montgomery's talents is the single word "Genius" which is a God-given talent that is reserved for a small minority. The best example I've seen regarding his musical knowledge is a UA-cam video "Wes Montgomery, VPRO Studio, Hilversum, Holland, 1965" where he teaches a piano player how to play one of his compositions. You can clearly see that Wes has very sophisticated musical knowledge in expressing exactly what he wants. Then he takes off with some amazing improvisations afterwards. The man was supremely gifted in every way. The video is at ua-cam.com/video/RyV6ijU9HK4/v-deo.html and the discussion about his tune with the piano player starts around 14 minutes.
I listened to that dialog. He's just telling the pianist what sequence of chords he wants. I've heard nothing special. Musical knowledge is something more than memorising a chord progression.
40-50's rhythm&blues sax players surely put an art of one-note soloing to a higher level. So that idea was literally in the air. I probably need another lifetime to enjoy the music the way it deserves.
I happen to love some of the stuff Wes did with an orchestra. Time has shown that they were wonderful arrangements and ripe with amazing musicianship. On top of that, you got Wes' inimitable stylings.
Great video. Relating Wes’ playing to Big Band arrangements is something I had in my mind, but I just couldn’t formulate it. You demonstrate it so well here.
I'm from a small town and was never exposed to Wes. When I went away to college, I finally heard Wes. A live CD was being played at a late night party and I was hooked. After asking around, someone directed me to the host who showed me the CD cover. I couldn't get it out of my head and had to buy his music as soon as I could. The love affair continues. Fantastic video, Jens!
Thanks for the breakdowns on key elements of Wes' swing blues style. His call and response technique using short phrases, octaves and chord accent "bumps" is so accessible -- and memorable. Perhaps this is why we "discover him" over and over..
Wes is the best. Ive been really digging the Montgomeryland album lately! You can really hear a lot of four on six in summertime. Monk’s electric bass playing was wicked too!
@@Meowah122456 You might also like the video that Produce Like A Pro did on Wes, it's a very detailed description of his life and music. I linked to it in the descriptipn
I loved the video! Thanks Jens! Four On Six from Incredible Jazz Guitar album was my first video and means lot to me and I was totally into it not just because Wes technique but because of his sense of phrasing and groove, It is one of the main reasons that I'm playing jazz right now. Thanks again for your work Jens! I really appreciate it :)
Great video Jens .Wes had simplicity,coupled with sophistication.I grew up at the tail end of the "Big Band"era. (early"70's") Ellington was still playing ,as was Woody Herman,and Maynard Ferguson. (I had the honor of sitting in with Ferguson's band back then ).Back in that era Wes Montgomery was doing cross over songs. You could not listen to commercial a.m.radio without hearing Wes Montgomery every half hour . Wes was an introduction into a very "hip" sound for a lot of people ,at a very palatable level.He died way to young. We can only guess as to how he would' be played had he lived longer.Thanks for helping to keep these sounds alive !
This video is pure gold, Jens! Thank you! Like you, my first guitar teacher recommended listening to Wes but he had created a 90-minute mix tape he called “Wes Montgomery Plays the Blues” for his students. I remember it had The Thumb, Sundown, West Coast Blues, etc. It was a really great way to introduce me to jazz and the more sophisticated sounds I wasn’t totally used to hearing yet.
One of my buddies is starting to play now and really likes Hendrix and things of that nature and I do as well but I've been trying to get him to expand his horizons early and constantly talk to him about Wes and literally just tonight I texted him the No Blues version on Smokin' and the Four On Six version on Smokin' and Full House because I feel like those are songs that blues players can really like and find interesting. I also of course love West Coast Blues as well.
wow as a jazz teacher u mentioned alex skolnic 5:07 hes a beast on guitar ,do very clean fast runs i noticed in his scalings n patterns at later yrs has a bit of jazz to it but cleverly incorporated , fact that he can shred too and he knows the theory of jazz salute to Alex maestro
Great video. Wes is truly a master - I regret I didn’t “find” him earlier. A few non-Hulk comments: a) I really think his “pop” records with a large orchestra are also fantastic. Great arrangements and sound, and filled with examples where Wes plays simple but super strong solos. Be sure to check them out. b) As for a simple and strong solo, I think one of the best is on “Snowfall” from the “Groove Brothers” album. The theme is wonderful (Wes and Buddy on vibes playing chord melody), and Wes’ solo is a pure triad collection. Quite amazing.
The first jazz guitar I heard, at the age of probably 8 was tony Matolla. I asked my mom about that beautiful sound coming from the hi fi. I was hooked then but it wasn't until a friend and fellow musician introduced me to the "smoking at the half note" album. The improvisation by all of the musicians on it is spectacular but wes totally blew my mind,,, and 40 years later, still does. To me, he sets the standard
Funny, when I first listened to Wes, it wasn’t what I had imagined his sound to be which was off of an early Riverside recording. It wasn’t until I heard 4 on 6 and the recordings with Creed that I finally heard that warm full sound I had imagined in my head. Also interesting is that Wes rarely used his pinky finger when soloing if at all. Of course he used it on octaves but maybe his hands were so big he didn’t need it. Thanks for the vid!
Thanks for talking about Wes. The great Wes did go commercial at one point but I still loved him and the way he played those octaves. On Angel, he didn’t play octaves, a rare thing for that time. But his octave play is an unrivaled technique. I Hear you on his melodic phrasings and that's what I practice the most at this time. Great lesson, as usual!
Great video, no anger at all from me. I also discovered those concepts from him, thanks for giving and ensuring me some names for them. "Bock to Bock" from the Fingerpicking Record was his first solo I was mildly obsessed with. The chorus of the track is beautiful, the transitions from one solo musician part to the other, and then Wes' solo, so simple and clear, always going and ending up somewhere just to give away another elegant way to play around the harmonic framework afterwards. A great way for me to internalize this process was to really find and focus on when the phrase, or a "sentence" within the story actually ends, then analyzing how he got there and having the impression no note or space was wasted. And when I heard how he passed the ball to his piano player to finish the solo sections, ending on a somewhat open or vague note, and the piano player repeats his last words kind of and goes from there I was blown away. Really made me appreciate the craft of communicating ideas through music.
Great video and lesson, as always, Jens. You always put things so perfectly into context to make it all super-understandable. Incredible helpful for me as a learner. Thank you!
Some big band albums I really like - I think you asked for it... The Quincy Jones - Sammy Nestico Orchestra - Basie & Beyond Ku-Umba Frank Lacy & Mingus Big Band: Mingus Sings The Brecker Brothers & WDR Big Band - Some Skunk Funk Michel Camilo - One more once Thanks for your great videos!
Totally agree with you. When I was first learning wes I just couldnt get the octaves and thumb playing to work for me. I still can't. The world doesn't need another Wes, but it does need people who can flow effortlessly and expressively through the changes
great video, thanks! Now that you mentioned Django and swing, I remember you once talked, on a video analysing Charlie Christian, about the fact that swing era music was more "on the beat" than bebop. It would be really interesting to watch a video on that topic.
Thanks, I've always been amazed by old school jazz players. But there are some talents too today; Jesse van Ruler, Romain Pilon, Reinier Baas, Joey Alexander, Yohan Kim, Tohpati, Nelson Veras, are a few to name. Thanks for sharing sir. You are one of my favorite music teachers I know. 🙏
Full House, - yeah baby,! with Wynton Kelly and" little Coltrane" Johnny Griffin.- my first Wes experience. I wore out my copy back in 1970s when a teenager.
Excellent video Jens - entertaining and inspiring - a must watch in 2022 to finally having a go at Jazz guitar - love the humour - Don't call me Shirley
Great video as usual! There's an interview with Brad Mehldau where he says he always uses some Wes line in his concerts, and how a big fan he is. He got into Wes because of his friendship with Peter Bernstein, and the thing that stood out for him is that Wes composes new melodies on the fly for the songs in his solos. Not sure what interview it was but I'm pretty sure it's here on UA-cam. :P
The man deserved to earn a living and provide for his family. Enough of the Wes critics who damned him for playing pop music. It was still hip, and he got paid, so get over. As Russell Malone said being virtuous is not a virtue.
I love Wes. If you try to listen to the vibe he doesn’t need a mass of notes to get you to feel the swing. His rhythmic approach was a reminder that arpeggios and scales are only a piece of jazz
Short phrases, and the call and response are central to good improv no doubt! I once heard John Scofield say that he tried to play like Wes Montgomery, but it was just too hard, so he decided to do his own thing. I think it's great to learn from the greats what you can, but not to allow yourself to become too burdened with trying to think like they do, because they are them, and you are you!
Who Are The Important Jazz Guitarists? 😎
✅ The 5 Guitar Solos That Will Teach You Jazz:
ua-cam.com/video/K7OO-s31pOU/v-deo.html
✅ Lessons on other great Jazz Giants:
ua-cam.com/video/Potz7UATr8Y/v-deo.html
I’ve been obsessed with Jimmy Raney, especially his later trio work, like the album Momentum.
I really like Kenny Burrell's playing, particularly on his album God Bless the Child. And there's a guy named Ed Bickert that I haven't heard but who's supposedly one of the greats. Rik Emmett has spoken very highly of him. For two outside-the-box mentions, Chet Catallo's playing on those early Spyro Gyra albums was terrific, and there was a guy named Ted Hall who played in the most underrated fusion band in history, The Fents, in the early- and mid-80s. Their first album, First Offense, is actually here in its entirety on UA-cam. It's phenomenal if you like fusion with strong melodies and sophisticated playing. He passed away a few years ago, but Ted was a monster back in the day. Allan Holdsworth had high praise for that band. Oh, and Marlon McLain from the early Jeff Lorber Fusion could melt your face off with brilliant playing. Not so much on the records they made, but when they played live and stretched out, oh man! His choice of notes was fantastic. And of course, John McLaughlin has to be on any list of important jazz guitarists. I'll skip the rest of the obvious names that true jazzers know and more or less agree on.
Really nice video, Jens. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
@@Ken5244 as a kid, grew up listening to Ed B. You would have enjoyed him, haven't heard his name in a great many years.
@@Ken5244 He played with Oscar Peterson upon occasion, if memory serves me correct.
@@robertdouglas4293 Any specific albums of his that you'd recommend?
Wes was the highest level of improvisational music. Plenty of guitarists who are much more technical but none more musical. Great explanation why!
I remember the first time I heard a Wes Montgomery song. I was in Rockford Illinois sitting in my uncle's basement. The song was Bumpin On Sunset I was completely blown away. His playing and sound were amazing. I hung on every note like never before. This is the moment I realized I truly loved and appreciated jazz music.
I remember exactly where I was when I first heard Wes.
What fascinates me about wes's playing was he sense of articulation, timing, phrasing, tone, and groove. There is so much subtlety in his playing.
He´s just got it all.. and you are right in every respect, I wouldnt be able to say it better.. I even love to listen to his comping, an art in itself
Jens, the quality of your videos continues to skyrocket. The editing, humor, continuity of information- everything. Really outstanding stuff you’re doing and I appreciate it very much. Great work!
Thank you! Glad you think so!
Wes and grant are just so powerful. To many guitarist get lost bopping around losing the groove, and create unpleasant feel for non musical folks. Wes and grant just always in pocket building repeating lines into interesting response then lay back into the groove.
Wes is far beyond Grant ....
@@jean-lucbersou758
I agree that Wes was greater than Grant in many respects but Grant was also an influential guitarist with many unique qualities
I started playing guitar in 1958. By 1960 I was playing with a local big band. In 1963 I joined the Navy as a guitarist and was shown that there were more guitarists out there other than my local hero Charlie Byrd. I was born in D.C. I fell in love with Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Howard Roberts, Charlie Christian, and many more. So many colors out there to enjoy!
Wes is really the best of the best.It is unthinkable to not know and seriously study his catalogue.(If your serious about Jazz)
He fearlessly transcends the instrument.
When I started college, I was playing the drums, wanting to play nothing but big band jazz, and majoring in jazz percussion. At some point we were doing a transcription and analysis of Wes’s solo on Bumpin’, one of those orchestral tunes 😀 and just fell in love with it. I had never paid attention to jazz guitar. Now I’m in my 50s and finally learning guitar and while I listen to lots of guitarists in many genres, Wes is still my primary inspiration! I think the fact that he did use a lot of big band phrasing might be one aspect of his playing that caught my attention.
When I heard wes play stomping at the savoy it knocked me out.. He is smooth as silk
Jens thank you for this amazing video on one of my Jazz Guitar heroes! It's so great to also see your love of Wes' playing, he's humility and his inventiveness is unparalleled! Wonderful video my friend.
P.S thanks for mentioning my video in your description, we had to upload again (the audio was out of sync in the last third) and lost all the original views unfortunately, so the support means a lot my friend! You Rock/Jazz!
@Frank Lee thanks ever so much!
Wes's "I Wish I Knew" is just so unbelievably perfect to me, no words in the song but I know exactly what he was feeling and the emotions he wanted to talk about... nobody does it even remotely like him ❤️
Yes, that is beautiful! Thanks for suggesting that!
When Wes first recorded he was termed "'Just another Blues guitarist" by a reviewer ...this was noted on the sleevenotes on the reverse of one of his 1st albums by Orrin Keepnews, who was appalled. When George Benson asked Wes to show him some ideas Wes refused because , as he said "'I can'tt because i'm just learning myself". Humility is the key .
With my limited knowledge, jazz is like the days of the week, everyday may seem different, but the true beauty of reaching Sunday is appreciating how we got there, and hopefully smiling that day, and partway through.
Wes was the one and only. It doesnt really matter whether he played a guitar - he was a great musician first and foremost. He´s got it all.. most of all, an incredible rhythm feel.. (just his comping is out of this world), and building on that, the phrasing and melodic invention you cant find anywhere else... maybe only Charlie Parker ? You know..
it just flows so naturally.. like breathing
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these amazing videos! When I was first learning jazz, one of my favorite contemporary guitarists was Ronny Jordan, I did not realize how much he adopted from Wes Montgomery’s style until I listened to more Wes Montgomery.
Glad you like them!
To me the most important thing about Wes (and why he's the greatest player) is that he's like Pres. Not only is everything an idea, it's a great idea. Pure song, as though bullshitting were not even an option. Real jazz music. That's Wes to me.
Wes's solo on No Blues on Smokin' at the Half Note is truly a master class on everything you are talking about. It might be has best recorded solo of all time!
The Four On Six solo on that album is absolutely outrageous but man I love the No Blues solo too and was literally just listening to it and playing along earlier. I would highly recommend you look up this alternate take of Four On Six from that album where Wes goes on an octave run that literally just seems inhuman. His talent was absolutely other worldly.
@@SimpleManGuitars1973 The solo on that version of 4 on 6 might be Wes's best ever studio recording. I've always thought of it as a perfect take (this despite Paul Chambers coming back in prematurely after some trades with Jimi Cobb, stepping ever so slightly on his drum solo).
@@happysaddington6488 I've read that the recording on that wasn't truly "live" and so it's crazy there would be a mistake like that.
Videos like this make UA-cam worthwhile for me. The breakdown of of phrasing by motif, call, and response, especially as applied to Bird, was great. Also interesting to know Wes didn't know theory and was just creating the structure of the solos intuitively. Fascinating.
Glad it was helpful!
Montgomery was a genius at fine tuning the intricacies of a chord melody, which not only gave it a big band organish sound, but sounded as if a flow of different instruments stood out to scoop the sutile parts or highlight the melody as it progressed. Besides that, one of his tools was the flesh of his thumb and, I suspect, his palm to gently mute-release as he glided his thumb across the strings to magnify the jazzy archtotop tone several fold. But try as you wish, his thumb/palm method and all the jazz chords you can muster, without his ability to also hear and arrange songs, you will not sound so magical, from my experience.
This video is not only confirmation of the amazing guitarist and educator Jens Larsen is, but a testament that he has studied UA-cam and has become a masterful content creator. Standing ovation. Next level
Thank you very much Brent! 🙂 That is great to hear coming from you!
Wow., like a dream come true, never believed I could listen to Wes Montgomery & actually follow his music., of course, that’s the advantage we have as Jen’s Larson students.,
Wow everything on point! Wes always a master forever beloved of Jazz legends, any guitarist would sure hear him non stop, Pat metheny a complete revolutionary of our age keeping the essentials that make Jazz. Thanks!
Great video, Jens, I agree with everything you say. Regarding the question "Did Wes know music theory?"---- Wes was self-deprecating about his knowledge and abilities. I saw a George Benson interview where George describes seeing Wes in a club as a young man, and asking Wes for guitar lessons. Wes refused, saying "How can I give you lessons when I'm still learning to play myself?" I think the short answer for Wes Montgomery's talents is the single word "Genius" which is a God-given talent that is reserved for a small minority. The best example I've seen regarding his musical knowledge is a UA-cam video "Wes Montgomery, VPRO Studio, Hilversum, Holland, 1965" where he teaches a piano player how to play one of his compositions. You can clearly see that Wes has very sophisticated musical knowledge in expressing exactly what he wants. Then he takes off with some amazing improvisations afterwards. The man was supremely gifted in every way. The video is at ua-cam.com/video/RyV6ijU9HK4/v-deo.html and the discussion about his tune with the piano player starts around 14 minutes.
I listened to that dialog. He's just telling the pianist what sequence of chords he wants. I've heard nothing special. Musical knowledge is something more than memorising a chord progression.
Impressions is an amazing track. Really adds life to that Coltrane melody.
40-50's rhythm&blues sax players surely put an art of one-note soloing to a higher level. So that idea was literally in the air.
I probably need another lifetime to enjoy the music the way it deserves.
Nice Lesson Jens. Learning anything Wes played is always worthwhile. He always played with feeling throughout his solos.
Very true!
Wes is and always has been my "Hendrix" - Great video Jens!!!
Jimi loved Wes and Third Stone From The Sun is straight up influenced by him.
I happen to love some of the stuff Wes did with an orchestra. Time has shown that they were wonderful arrangements and ripe with amazing musicianship. On top of that, you got Wes' inimitable stylings.
Sure! I agree that the arrangements are solid, but I still prefer the interaction and mood of the smaller groups personally :)
His more "mainstream" stuff sorta "paid the bills" for him but still if you listen to live stuff from that day he'll still melt faces.
Great video. Relating Wes’ playing to Big Band arrangements is something I had in my mind, but I just couldn’t formulate it. You demonstrate it so well here.
This is awesome. Wes is one of my all time favorite players and you just helped me put into words why.
Glad you think so :)
Woooow, incredible and splendid Jens Larsen's technical knowledge about Wes Montgomery!!!
These videos and the commentary get better every year.
Thank you 🙂 Glad you like it
I'm from a small town and was never exposed to Wes. When I went away to college, I finally heard Wes. A live CD was being played at a late night party and I was hooked. After asking around, someone directed me to the host who showed me the CD cover. I couldn't get it out of my head and had to buy his music as soon as I could. The love affair continues. Fantastic video, Jens!
Which is really close to my story :) Glad you like the video!
Thanks Jens. You have put into words some of what I love about Wes' music but did not know how to express. Also, your guitar tone sounds brilliant!
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the breakdowns on key elements of Wes' swing blues style. His call and response technique using short phrases, octaves and chord accent "bumps" is so accessible -- and memorable. Perhaps this is why we "discover him" over and over..
this is really good one - all the not so obvious references and your analytical skills. gold.
Thank you! :)
Wes is the best. Ive been really digging the Montgomeryland album lately! You can really hear a lot of four on six in summertime. Monk’s electric bass playing was wicked too!
I need to check that one out. I have been listening to this album a lot lately: ua-cam.com/video/iyXjqMmHWHg/v-deo.html
@@JensLarsen I’ll have to check it out :-D thanks a lot. Cheers from Canada, man
@@Meowah122456 You might also like the video that Produce Like A Pro did on Wes, it's a very detailed description of his life and music. I linked to it in the descriptipn
I loved the video! Thanks Jens! Four On Six from Incredible Jazz Guitar album was my first video and means lot to me and I was totally into it not just because Wes technique but because of his sense of phrasing and groove, It is one of the main reasons that I'm playing jazz right now. Thanks again for your work Jens! I really appreciate it :)
Glad you like it Adrian. It is indeed an amazing solo 🙂
Fantastic analysis of the magical artistry of Wes Montgomery. Thank you
Great video Jens .Wes had simplicity,coupled with sophistication.I grew up at the tail end of the "Big Band"era. (early"70's") Ellington was still playing ,as was Woody Herman,and Maynard Ferguson. (I had the honor of sitting in with Ferguson's band back then ).Back in that era Wes Montgomery was doing cross over songs. You could not listen to commercial a.m.radio without hearing Wes Montgomery every half hour . Wes was an introduction into a very "hip" sound for a lot of people ,at a very palatable level.He died way to young. We can only guess as to how he would' be played had he lived longer.Thanks for helping to keep these sounds alive !
This video is pure gold, Jens! Thank you! Like you, my first guitar teacher recommended listening to Wes but he had created a 90-minute mix tape he called “Wes Montgomery Plays the Blues” for his students. I remember it had The Thumb, Sundown, West Coast Blues, etc. It was a really great way to introduce me to jazz and the more sophisticated sounds I wasn’t totally used to hearing yet.
That's a great idea!Glad you like the video :)
One of my buddies is starting to play now and really likes Hendrix and things of that nature and I do as well but I've been trying to get him to expand his horizons early and constantly talk to him about Wes and literally just tonight I texted him the No Blues version on Smokin' and the Four On Six version on Smokin' and Full House because I feel like those are songs that blues players can really like and find interesting. I also of course love West Coast Blues as well.
Yeah Ive often made that connection between Wes's chordal work and big band horn lines..Thanks for putting this one out there Jens
Glad you like it! :)
wow as a jazz teacher u mentioned alex skolnic 5:07 hes a beast on guitar ,do very clean fast runs
i noticed in his scalings n patterns at later yrs has a bit of jazz to it but cleverly incorporated , fact that he can shred too and he knows the theory of jazz salute to Alex maestro
Great video. Wes is truly a master - I regret I didn’t “find” him earlier. A few non-Hulk comments:
a) I really think his “pop” records with a large orchestra are also fantastic. Great arrangements and sound, and filled with examples where Wes plays simple but super strong solos. Be sure to check them out.
b) As for a simple and strong solo, I think one of the best is on “Snowfall” from the “Groove Brothers” album. The theme is wonderful (Wes and Buddy on vibes playing chord melody), and Wes’ solo is a pure triad collection. Quite amazing.
The first jazz guitar I heard, at the age of probably 8 was tony Matolla. I asked my mom about that beautiful sound coming from the hi fi. I was hooked then but it wasn't until a friend and fellow musician introduced me to the "smoking at the half note" album. The improvisation by all of the musicians on it is spectacular but wes totally blew my mind,,, and 40 years later, still does. To me, he sets the standard
You are a great teacher ,Jens. I will try my best to learn jazz.
My condolences to you. So sad what happened to your father.
Thank you, Francisco! Glad you like the videos 🙂
Yes, Wes is one of the greats!
Funny, when I first listened to Wes, it wasn’t what I had imagined his sound to be which was off of an early Riverside recording. It wasn’t until I heard 4 on 6 and the recordings with Creed that I finally heard that warm full sound I had imagined in my head. Also interesting is that Wes rarely used his pinky finger when soloing if at all. Of course he used it on octaves but maybe his hands were so big he didn’t need it. Thanks for the vid!
There are some staggeringly gifted music teachers on UA-cam, and Jens Larsen is one of the very best of them.
Thank you 🙂
absolutely!
Thanks for talking about Wes. The great Wes did go commercial at one point but I still loved him and the way he played those octaves. On Angel, he didn’t play octaves, a rare thing for that time. But his octave play is an unrivaled technique. I Hear you on his melodic phrasings and that's what I practice the most at this time. Great lesson, as usual!
Glad you like the video :)
I really enjoy how you've made these videos Jens. Informative, great cuts and focuses on the topic. I wish you had more views! Best wishes. :)
Glad you enjoyed it! Jazz Guitar is not a huge niche :)
Great video, no anger at all from me. I also discovered those concepts from him, thanks for giving and ensuring me some names for them. "Bock to Bock" from the Fingerpicking Record was his first solo I was mildly obsessed with. The chorus of the track is beautiful, the transitions from one solo musician part to the other, and then Wes' solo, so simple and clear, always going and ending up somewhere just to give away another elegant way to play around the harmonic framework afterwards. A great way for me to internalize this process was to really find and focus on when the phrase, or a "sentence" within the story actually ends, then analyzing how he got there and having the impression no note or space was wasted. And when I heard how he passed the ball to his piano player to finish the solo sections, ending on a somewhat open or vague note, and the piano player repeats his last words kind of and goes from there I was blown away. Really made me appreciate the craft of communicating ideas through music.
Glad you like it! I'll need to check Bock to Bock again. I have been listening to this album a lot lately: ua-cam.com/video/iyXjqMmHWHg/v-deo.html
i remember listening to d-natural blues by Wes, and I was touched by his music especially because of the fact i came from blues music.
Love "Splanky," and yes, I had picked up on Wes' use of that passage.
Great video and lesson, as always, Jens. You always put things so perfectly into context to make it all super-understandable. Incredible helpful for me as a learner. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Excellent lesson. Great to try to go back to simplicity. “Simplicity is a most complex form”. Duke Ellington.
Thank you Jens.
Go for it 🙂
The Airplane! reference!!! You're the man, Jens!
🙏🙂
I like these explanations with examples: call and response, motif and shifted motif.
Glad you liked it
Learned a lot from this one. Not just the Wes ideas, but that Skolnick has a podcast!!
Some big band albums I really like - I think you asked for it...
The Quincy Jones - Sammy Nestico Orchestra - Basie & Beyond
Ku-Umba Frank Lacy & Mingus Big Band: Mingus Sings
The Brecker Brothers & WDR Big Band - Some Skunk Funk
Michel Camilo - One more once
Thanks for your great videos!
West Coast Blues will still always be my favorite. I know it's way simpler, but maybe because it was the first standard that I ever learned.
The thing about Wes is his sense of rhythm.
Superb video. Really gave me a lot to think about. Will review this multiple times.
Glad you like it 🙂
Quite simply Wes Montgomery was the Greatest guitar player ever.Sad he's not as appreciated today as he should be.Brilliant Musician
Totally agree with you. When I was first learning wes I just couldnt get the octaves and thumb playing to work for me. I still can't. The world doesn't need another Wes, but it does need people who can flow effortlessly and expressively through the changes
Exactly 🙂
great video, thanks! Now that you mentioned Django and swing, I remember you once talked, on a video analysing Charlie Christian, about the fact that swing era music was more "on the beat" than bebop. It would be really interesting to watch a video on that topic.
Maybe I will, in general, videos on rhythm rarely are interesting for people so I am not so keen on making them.
YES! WES! Thanks Jens for this great lesson!
Thank you, Nathan! :)
Big Band! Yes! Often overlooked is the Terry Gibbs Big Band. Listen to the album, "Explosion"! Wow!
Wes is magical... Blues influence. I Love Charlie, Joe, Django, Martino... They are very important for me Jens.Ah!! And Freddie rythms ...
I'm not a huge jazz guy. But i really appreciate wes montgomery's approach
Very informative 😃 thank you sir
Most welcome
Thanks Jens. Added Wes to my Spotify.
Thanks, I've always been amazed by old school jazz players. But there are some talents too today; Jesse van Ruler, Romain Pilon, Reinier Baas, Joey Alexander, Yohan Kim, Tohpati, Nelson Veras, are a few to name. Thanks for sharing sir. You are one of my favorite music teachers I know. 🙏
Full House, - yeah baby,! with Wynton Kelly and" little Coltrane" Johnny Griffin.- my first Wes experience. I wore out my copy back in 1970s when a teenager.
I love your videos. They are always inspirational and sometimes really funny.
Super lesson Jens thanks. With bonus Mikko shout out :)
This was another massive lesson. Thanks
Glad you like it 🙂
Excellent video Jens - entertaining and inspiring - a must watch in 2022 to finally having a go at Jazz guitar - love the humour - Don't call me Shirley
Thank you! :)
Great video as usual! There's an interview with Brad Mehldau where he says he always uses some Wes line in his concerts, and how a big fan he is. He got into Wes because of his friendship with Peter Bernstein, and the thing that stood out for him is that Wes composes new melodies on the fly for the songs in his solos. Not sure what interview it was but I'm pretty sure it's here on UA-cam. :P
Thank you Pablo! That is interesting, but of course also fits with my points in this video :)
@@JensLarsen Indeed! You should check Brad's interview as he elaborates a bit more!
You are a great inspiration, Jens.
Thank you so much!
Love your insights and comments.
Thank you, Greg! Glad to hear that
The man deserved to earn a living and provide for his family. Enough of the Wes critics who damned him for playing pop music. It was still hip, and he got paid, so get over. As Russell Malone said being virtuous is not a virtue.
And undoubtedly, it helped more than a few people find their way to jazz.
This is an eye opener. Thank you very much
Glad it was helpful!
Wes is the best.
Hey Jens, great video. You got it right from head to toes.
Glad you liked it!
The Exciting Daly Wilson Big Band (1972). Australia. Masterpiece jazz funk LP. Influential. Some of the band played in 1960's USA legacy big bands.
Really wonderful! Informative, beyond belief. Thanks, Jens!
Glad you enjoyed it, Glenn!
Very entertaining, great detailed information. recently got hooked on your channel. Thanx, keep jazzin!
I love Wes. If you try to listen to the vibe he doesn’t need a mass of notes to get you to feel the swing. His rhythmic approach was a reminder that arpeggios and scales are only a piece of jazz
Merry Christmas.
Atomic Mr. Basie is a killer record and your video is great. I love Wes.
Thank you 🙂
Great vid. So clear, informative and well humored. WM was a genius and sooooo cool.
Glad you like it 🙂
I LOVE Wes Montgomery!!
Short phrases, and the call and response are central to good improv no doubt! I once heard John Scofield say that he tried to play like Wes Montgomery, but it was just too hard, so he decided to do his own thing. I think it's great to learn from the greats what you can, but not to allow yourself to become too burdened with trying to think like they do, because they are them, and you are you!
Great point!
Scofield could never play like Wes.. he was just too little for that. There are the greats and the rest.
@@tomasvanecek8626 just curious what yardstick we are measuring greatness by, cos in my estimation, Scofe is pretty great!!
You are one of the best and most generous guitar teachers I've ever seen. Thanks a lot!
My pleasure!
Naptown blues is great for Wes’ mastery of subtle chord voicing changes in shout chorus type situations.
Your analysis is superb
Thank you!! :)
Great points on Wes' style, Jens. Always feel like I'm sitting next to him when he plays. Intimate tone and attack. Comforting.
Kool…..dissection of Wes phrasing is on point…thanks!
Glad you like it!
Nice lesson Jens.