Movin' Wes was Montgomery's debut album on the Verve label. Produced past times Creed Taylor, the album sold to a greater extent than than 100,000 copies initially, Montgomery's biggest seller to this betoken inwards his career.
artist/wes-montgomery-mn0000248392">Wes Montgomery's debut for Verve, although ameliorate from a jazz standpoint than his afterward A&M releases, is for certain inwards the same vein. The emphasis is on his tone, his distinctive octaves, too his tune statements. Some of the cloth (such every bit "People" too "Matchmaker, Matchmaker") are popular tunes of the era too the brass orchestra (arranged past times artist/johnny-pate-mn0000210868">Johnny Pate) is purely inwards the background, but in that place are some worthy performances, chiefly the two-part "Movin' Wes," "Born to Be Blue," too "West Coast Blues."
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 superb Verve/Creed Taylor recording outset produced inwards 1965.
Much has been said of the so-called 'selling out' of jazzists--Wes was a hard-bopper, originally--and this was to receive got been his white washing or sell out album. That whole labeling thing, of course, is a bunch of B.S. Even hip hoppers would non heed existence accompanied past times a amount orchestra too musical rhythm section. This is Wes' outset amongst Verve, accompanied past times an orchestra arranged too conducted past times the bully Johnny Pate: the recording was engineered past times Phil Ramone too Creed Taylor.
"Theodora" is pure heaven, too "Born to Be Blue" is only perfect. But I'm quite sure you'll notice favorites amid the prissy alternative presented here....La Barb's "People", Wes' "Moving Wes". The CD is similar I said. Excellent, per-i-od.
In the liner notes past times Gene Lees, he tells how Wes developed his manner of playing. It is said he had an epiphany i solar daytime after listening to a Charlie Christian record. So much too thus that he went out too purchased a guitar too amp postal service haste too proceeded to strum the darn thing. He solicited the assist of a buddy to exhibit him some chords too he commenced to playing--loudly, clumsily--with the assist of a guitar pick. His wife, existence the individual that she was, did non portion inwards the epiphany too did non desire Wes to hold upwards making that dissonance inwards the living room. Can yous imagine that? So she requested that he motility elsewhere inwards the house. He finds a corner too He plays some more. Nope--still likewise loud for the lady of the house. So, he turns the amp downward a little. Nope, soundless likewise loud. So, he turns the amp downward a lil more, gets rid of the pick too finds that pollex strumming manner nosotros hear inwards all his recordings. Talk nearly epiphany!
His married adult woman finally, FINALLY approves too the residuum is, every bit they say, history.
Thank God for that because the side past times side pace for ol' Wes may receive got been out on the curb amongst cipher but a guitar, an amp too a guitar pick...and no electricity! And nosotros in all probability would receive got missed out of his greatness...
So, the moral of the story is, always, ever give your husband i to a greater extent than chance, fifty-fifty if it is difficult on the ears.
This album contains some fine understated guitar piece of work from Wes - He doesn't larn the long extended solos of some of his to a greater extent than traditional jazz albums - nevertheless, i gets a magnified hold off at his approach every bit he sounds rattling relaxed against the Creed Taylor arrangements. Wes has the distinction of existence i of the few instrumentalists who aren't ruined past times this to a greater extent than commercial setting - Charlie Parker is i of the other immortals who strangeley benefitted from orchestration. I am blown away past times Wes' octave too chordal piece of work on this every bit good every bit some unmarried work play on 'Caravan'. He is the envy of all guitarists!
This recording is Wes Montgomery's outset large band outing. This tape was a milestone for Wes inwards many ways too showcases him inwards go past times form. The work I receive got amongst some of these reviews on hither is that every bit usual, they don't know what they're talking nearly too squall upwards because they receive got an opinion, which is non based on facts, or history, it should hold upwards considered valid. It's commonly biased towards their ain likes too dislikes, too lacks the sense to fifty-fifty know what they're listening to or for, which makes it totally nearly THEM too non nearly the artist too the music. The reviews oft go blanket price similar "cheesy", "pop", and, "commercial" to brand the recordings look less valid than other recordings. What the heck does "cheesy" fifty-fifty mean? Not agreement what skills an artist too arranger has to receive got inwards social club to brand recordings such every bit this one, does a disservice to the artist, arranger, too the educated listeners who know the music, has seen the musicians, too understands the process. To advise the compositions on this recording are inferior shows no noesis of the composers, their works, or history, too that's precisely the outset inaccurate bias. There are 4 songs written past times Montgomery, i written past times the bully jazz pianist too jazz historian, MD Billy Taylor. "Caravan" too "Born To Be Blue" are sometime jazz standards, "Moca Flor" too "Senza Fine" are Brazilian standards, too "People" too "Matchmaker" are from ii dissimilar famous theatre plays. Jazz musicians receive got ALWAYS recorded songs from plays, non because of the play, but because of a vocal inwards it that they like. When people on the spider web write these reviews, they seem to squall upwards that they know every bit much nearly the music an artist chooses to tape than the artists themselves. What arrogance; how something an artist considers to hold upwards beautiful, yet challenging tin give the sack hold upwards too thus easily dismissed past times these people amongst such disregard for the artist's ain sense too musical expertise is precisely astonishing. If yous similar Wes Montgomery, wouldn't it hold upwards respectful to practise some interrogation on him earlier yous become some trashing his recordings because they're non what YOU squall upwards they should be? How egotistical is that? Montgomery came upwards inwards the large band era, too his outset traveling chore was amongst Lionel Hampton. Wes' main influence, Charlie Christian, made major recordings amongst Benny Goodman's large band too Wes' beloved for large bands stems from those experiences. So it's entirely logical that he would devote many recordings to a large band setting because this is the manner that helped to shape his concept of jazz guitar. What most people don't sympathize is that it takes a special science to know how play amongst too burn downward upwards a large band. This is a science that has been lost past times jazz guitarists inwards the finally 35 addition years. As far every bit the arranger Johhny Pate, this man's credentials far outweigh the uneducated catch of i reviewer who accuses Mr. Pate's arrangements of existence "cheesy", specially for 1965. If i were REALLY listening amongst experienced ears, they would hear the harmonically advanced band voicings existence used throughout the recording. Another affair to pay attending to is the agency Mr. Pate included the go of a tuba inwards his orchestrations. "Movin' Wes" was the outset recording to showcase the many dissimilar sides of Wes' musical personality too his mastery of playing inwards a large band setting. It was Montgomery's large band sense that made this recording possible, too why yous hear his familiar guitar audio soaring over the go past times of the band. People postulate to realize that to an artist, their recordings are similar their children. You can't compare them to each other too say this i is ameliorate than that one. Being their parent, yous know they are all different, too each receive got something unique to say, but yous are soundless proud of them all. This is non to say that yous every bit a listener receive got to similar everything whatsoever artist does, but delight receive got plenty abide by for that person's piece of work to refrain from going online to criticize them every bit if yous know to a greater extent than nearly their music than they do. THEY'RE the artist, non YOU. This is a landmark recording for Wes Montgomery, too similar it or not, it is part of history. The people who know nearly him understands this, it's upwards to the uniformed listeners to notice out what they are missing, too fill upwards inwards the blanks.
Track listing:
01 "Caravan" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol) – 2:39
02 "People" (Bob Merrill, Jule Styne) – 4:23
03 "Movin' Wes, Pt. 1" (Wes Montgomery) – 3:31
04 "Mo̤a Flor" (Durval Ferreira, Lula Freire) Р3:12
05 "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" (Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick) – 2:52
06 "Movin' Wes, Pt. 2" (Montgomery) – 2:55
07 "Senza Fine" (Gino Paoli, Alec Wilder) – 3:28
08 "Theodora" (Billy Taylor) – 3:58
09 "In too Out" (Montgomery) – 2:53
10 "Born to Be Blue" (Mel Torm̩, Robert Wells) Р3:40
11 "West Coast Blues" (Montgomery) – 3:12
Personnel:
Wes Montgomery – guitar
Bob Cranshaw – bass
Grady Tate – drums
Willie Bobo – percussion
Bobby Scott – piano
Ernie Royal – trumpet
Clark Terry – trumpet
Snooky Young – trumpet
Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
Urbie Green – trombone
Quentin Jackson – trombone
Chauncey Welsch – trombone
Don Butterfield – tuba
Harvey Phillips – tuba
Jerome Richardson – flute, saxophone, woodwinds
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