It has been reissued yesteryear Original Jazz Classics with additional alternate takes. All the tracks are available on the Wes Montgomery compilation CD The Complete Riverside Recordings.
Before he moved away from straight-ahead jazz too starting playing what is directly known as smoothen jazz, Wes Montgomery was i of bop's finest guitarists. Montgomery's bop menstruum ended much too soon, but thankfully, he recorded his part of rewarding bop albums when he was nonetheless bop-oriented -- too i of them is Boss Guitar, which Orrin Keepnews produced inwards 1963. It's a trio recording, employing Mel Rhyne on organ too Jimmy Cobb on performances that get got held upwardly good over time; Montgomery shows how expressive a ballad thespian he could last on the standards "For Heaven's Sake" too "Days of Wine too Roses," but the fast tempo exuberance of "The Trick Bag" (a Montgomery original) serves him as well. Montgomery swings the blues with pleasing results on "Fried Pies" (another Montgomery original), land Consuelo Velázquez's "Besame Mucho" (which is ordinarily played at a tedious ballad tempo) is successfully transformed into medium-tempo Latin jazz. Boss Guitar is with the bop-oriented Montgomery albums that should move on to last savored after all these years. [In add-on to the 8 primary takes that were heard on the original '60s LP, about reissues comprise alternate takes of "Besame Mucho," "The Trick Bag," too "Fried Pies" -- all of which volition involvement collectors.]
All guitarists should explore move exterior their genre to fully appreciate the remarkable variety their musical instrument holds. In the illustration of Montgomery, his is the quintessential bebop flavored jazz guitar player, too inwards my estimation, the best ever, too that's inwards about pretty heavy company.
Joined yesteryear Mel Ryne on Hammond B-3 organ, "Boss Guitar" has a unique sound, as Ryne plays a wonderfully smoky too smoothen organ, which compliments Wes' playing brilliantly. "Besame Mucho" starts the album off with a Latin flavor, too the CD simply seems to float by. Another favorite is "Canadian Sunset", a slower but frail vocal that features about of the best chord move on the CD. Fans similar to comment on Wes' famous octave picking, which has been copied yesteryear tons of players out of admiration, but his genuinely rigid suit, too beingness capable of demand heed blowing solos, is his chordal noesis that few e'er equalled, adding breadth to the playing too to a greater extent than colouring than whatever unmarried regime notation solo could promise to do.
Wes Montgomery's belatedly '50's move too early on '60's albums are his best, where he stays truthful to his dearest of bebop, whereas after albums were to a greater extent than commercial too lacking inwards his green technique. While they aren't bad, it's the early on materials to become after. "So Much Guitar!", "Far Wes" too "Wes Montgomery Plays The Blues" are all must haves, along with "Boss Guitar." It is a tragedy this genius exclusively lived to 43. Perhaps no unmarried guitarist's expiry had to a greater extent than of an touching on except for Jimi Hendrix, who was known to arrive at a footling octave picking himself. It's how jazz guitar is supposed to last done.
Wes Montgomery recorded Boss Guitar at historic menstruum 38, nigh the terminate of his acclaimed Riverside years too simply v years earlier his death. While the records that followed would give him about radio hits (and lose him about fans), the 1963 session was a fourth dimension when he actually could brand the bold claim of the album’s title. The previous year, Montgomery had placed 4th inwards the too hence influential Playboy Jazz Poll with reader ballots, too had been named “All-Stars’ All-Star Guitar” with voting musicians (an electorate that included Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Paul Desmond, Duke Ellington, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson too Frank Sinatra, with others).
The “musician’s musician” condition powerfulness last explained yesteryear his associations. He had already played with Coltrane too Lionel Hampton at the time, but nigh of the guitar boss’s career was spent as boss, leading bands too primarily—as on this release—leading organ trios. His finishing behind Chet Atkins, Barney Kessel too Charlie Byrd inwards the reader’s poll, on the other hand, powerfulness last explained yesteryear his keeping his domicile inwards Indianapolis, rather than moving to i of the coastal hotbeds.
The purpose of boss carries through to the agency he worked with his trio. Montgomery had oftentimes employed Mel Rhyne’s organ for his sessions. Drummer Jimmy Cobb had worked with Adderley, Coltrane, Davis, Getz, Gillespie too Billie Holiday. But both were primarily backing musicians, too scarcely solo throughout the 8 tracks cutting for the album. It is Boss Guitar, forepart too center. Which isn’t too much of a proficient thing. Montgomery was a naturally lyrical player, hopping octaves with ease, never sounding out of house but never predictable. He sashays through “Besame Mucho” too strolls along “Days of Wine too Roses.” And land the trio generally plays pop songs of the day, the ii Montgomery compositions hither stand upwardly out with the rest. “The Trick Bag” is a simmering workout with non bad interplay with the organ too drums, too “Fried Peas” is an infectious roll.
This number is newly remastered (with the latest fleck of logo-worthy technology) too includes the original liner notes as good as the notes from the 1989 reissue. Two bonus tracks (also on the 1989 version) don’t stray far from the original versions, but arrive at maintain the political party going a footling longer.
Track listing
01 "Besame Mucho" (Consuelo Velázquez, Sunny Skylar) – 6:28
02 "Besame Mucho" [Alternate take] (Velazquez, Skylar) – 6:24
03 "Dearly Beloved" (Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer) – 4:49
04 "Days of Wine too Roses" (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) – 3:44
05 "The Trick Bag" (Wes Montgomery) – 4:25
06 "Canadian Sunset" (Eddie Heywood, Norman Gimbel) – 5:04
07 "Fried Pies" (Montgomery) – 6:42
08 "Fried Pies" Alternate accept (Montgomery) – 6:35
09 "The Breeze too I" (Ernesto Lecuona, Al Stillman) – 4:08
10 "For Heaven's Sake" (Elise Bretton, Sherman Edwards, Donald Meyer) – 4:39
Personnel
Wes Montgomery – guitar
Melvin Rhyne – organ
Jimmy Cobb – drums
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