*****RINGER OF THE WEEK*****
Wes Montgomery
Movin’: The Complete Verve Recordings
Hip-OSelect Records
www.hip-oselect.com
By George W. Harris

ATTENTION ALL GUITAR FANS! YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!

Not only is this 5 disc (limited edition) collection of Wes Montgomery’s Verve catalogue essential for fans of the six stringer, but I can’t think of any jazz fan, let alone MUSIC fan, that won’t wonder how they lived in blind ignorance without this music in their possession. This music covers not only all of his studio material from 1964-66, but it has the concert that most people say is their ALL TIME favorite guitar album, namely Smokin’ At The Half Note with Wynton Kelly/p, Jimmy Cobb/dr and Paul Chambers/b. You will thank me for that one just by itself, but the other discs are almost as excellent.

The albums Movin’ Wes and Bumpin’ have Montgomery doing his magic on tunes like “Caravan,” Born To Be Blue,” and “Con Alma” with some orchestral support by Johnny Pate and Don Sebesky, respectively. Criticized at the time because it was not “pure” jazz due to the extra arranging, it has well withstood the test of time and sounds fresher than a cotton shirt after spending a day on a clothes line on a spring day. What can I tell you about the “live” disc Smokin’ besides it’s Pat Metheny’s all time fav? His solos on “4 on 6” and “No Blues” are simply, as Phillip Marlowe said, what dreams are made of.
The sessions Goin’ Out Of My Head, California Dreaming and Tequila has Montgomery veering towards pop accessibility, thanks to the production of Claus Ogerman, but his solos on tunes like “Tequila” or “The Thumb” as well as “Bumpin’ On Sunset” are as amazing as anything you’ll encounter. The sparks really flew, however, when Montgomery met up with B3 master Jimmy Smith for a pair of summit meetings. The moody “Death March” shows what these guys were up to in terms of lyricism, but if you want the jams kicked out, look no further than a wild “Down By The Riverside,” “Night Train” or “Milestones” which feature some inventive arranging by Oliver Nelson. There are a handful of bonus tracks of alternate takes or overdubbed versions of tunes like “Portrait Of Jennie” which was intended to make the music more radio friendly. So, whether you like your guitar scrambled, over easy, or sunny side up, you’ll get a healthy serving here. If you don’t want this music, I suggest you take up some other art form like macramé or pottery.