Wes Montgomery recorded his initial jazz guitar album as a leader for Riverside Documents, thanks largely to the enthusiastic recommendation of saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. The recording periods took place on October 5th and 6th, 1959 at Reeves Sound Studios in New York. The file, which was referred to as “The Wes Montgomery Trio”, featured his normal operating trio with Melvin Rhyne on organ and Paul Parker on drums. The organ trio (organ, guitar, and drums) remained a preferred setting for Wes through his profession and seemed to provide out his blues and funky jazz influences like no other ensemble. The materials was a blend of medium tempo jazz standards, difficult bop numbers, and Wes Montgomery originals. The reinterpreted classics “Round Midnight” and “Yesterdays” continue to be outstanding and definitive Wes Montgomery jazz guitar audio cuts to this day!
Issues last but not least broke wide open for Wes in 1960 with his up coming Riverside label release, “The Outstanding Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery”. Considered by several to be his finest jazz guitar album, it featured luminaries Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums. Of the a lot of outstanding tracks on the document, Wes’ originals “West Coast Blues” and “Four On Six” are stand out tracks and have turn into bonified jazz specifications! As a result of the album, Montgomery started to receive long overdue audio market accolades and awards. That 12 months he won the prestigious “Downbeat Critics New Star Award”, a 2nd spot in the Metronome Reader’s Poll, and was voted “Most Promising Jazz Instrumentalist” in Billboard Magazine!
The guarantee was fulfilled with the remaining Riverside record albums recorded from 1961 – 1964. Landmark albums to stick to included: “Boss Guitar”, “Total House”, “Movin’ Along”, “So A lot Guitar”, and “Fusion”. Wes Montgomery’s previous session for Riverside Documents took location on November 27th, 1963 and was titled “Guitar On The Go”. And go it did! Wes signed with Verve Records in 1964 and entered a new phase of his jazz guitar new music occupation.
For the duration of the Verve years (1964 – 1966), and subsequently with A & M Documents (1966 – 1968) Wes produced data, below the course of Creed Taylor, which obtained larger commercial accomplishment with a pop audience – some thing of an anomaly in the jazz world! In this regard, Montgomery was the very first cross-around jazz artist – paving the way for the likes of George Benson, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and the present “smooth jazz” genre. His efforts, even though criticized by jazz audio purists, were rewarded with a Grammy Award in 1967 for a slick edition of “Goin’ Out Of My Head”. All through these many years, Wes also continued releasing straight ahead jazz guitar audio albums these kinds of “Smokin’ At The 50 percent Note” and his now legendary duo periods with organist Jimmy Smith – as effectively as great particular person tracks like “Sun Down”.