Verve Jazz Masters 14 - Wes Montomery (1994) [Jazz][mp3 224-320]

Verve Jazz Masters 14 - Wes Montomery

Audio CD: April 19, 1994

Original Release Date: April 19, 1994

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Polygram Records

Bitrate: 224-320 kbps



Shedding the temptation of bop purist revisionism that creeps into most assessments of Wes Montgomery, this Jazz Masters volume gives newcomers a good cross-section of his Verve recordings, the orchestral Wes along with the small-group Wes. The sequencing, though out of chronological order, is quite clever and musical. Someone who has never heard Montgomery before will be drawn in most enticingly with Wes' brief yet unforgettably catchy hit with Oliver Nelson, "Goin' Out of My Head." That is followed by the burnin' "Impressions" with the Wynton Kelly Trio live at the Half Note, which in turn gives way to a luscious Bumpin' outtake with strings, "My One and Only Love," the Latin-grooving "Tequila"...and the sequence rolls on smoothly and with considerable diversity from there. There are omissions -- nothing from the two albums with Jimmy Smith, nothing from the A&M catalog (which Verve's parent corporation PolyGram owns and could have easily drawn from). But one can still get an idea of how Wes's awesome technical facilities and magical melodic touch dazzled the musicians and wooed the general public of his time. If you don't watch yourself, buying this CD might lead to a full-blown Wes addiction. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide



This bargain collection is an excellent introduction to the work of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. it is not, however, a CD for purists. Montgomery is not afraid of pop, of lush strings, of Burt Bacharach covers, of the kind of Big Band kitsch you'd find in the 'Sound Gallery'. Neither am I, and there are some marvellous things here: the melodic breeze of 'Goin' out of my mind'; the aching melancholy of 'My one and only love'; the sublime theme and variations of 'What the world needs now'; the rigorous jam of 'No blues'; the 60s spy film-like excess of 'Caravan'. Like the Hemingway hero, whatever style is offered as musical backdrop, Montgomery's guitar exists in a mellow world of its own, exuding grace under pressure. ~ darrage o'donoghue



Verve Jazz Masters 14 - Wes Montomery Tracks:

01 Goin’ Out Of My Head 2:15

02 Impressions 5:05

03 My One And Only Love 4:08

04 Tequila 3:23

05 Bumpin’ 6:46

06 What The World Needs Now Is Love 5:00

07 No Blues 12:57

08 The Shadow Of Your Smile 2:19

09 Caravan 2:38

10 Bumpin’ On Sunset 4:52

11 Twisted Blues 4:16

12 Oh! You Crazy Moon 3:44

13 Con Alma 3:23

14 The Thumb 4:49