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A beautiful combination we'd like to hear more of – one that comes from the meeting of Milt Jackson's vibes and the guitar of Wes Montgomery – both recorded here in easygoing brilliance! The session's a nice break from the usual sound of both players at the time – and although Wes played a bit with vibes when working in The Montgomery Brothers, the Jackson approach here is a bit different – more soulful, and a bit more driven on by the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones. Titles include the originals "SKJ", "Blue Roz", "Jingles", and "Sam Sack" – plus bonus tracks "Stairway To The Stars (take 2)" & "Delilah (take 3)".

An incredible album from Wes Montgomery – and the beginning of a whole new sound for his guitar! Wes moves away from his small combo soul jazz roots on the set – and hits a wonderfully sweet new vibe with larger arrangements from Don Sebesky – bigger backdrops that fill in the space between the notes wonderfully, yet still leave plenty of space for Montgomery to really open up and do his thing! Sebesky's got a perfect sense of timing on the record – and many tunes have a subtle sort of groove – one that pushes Wes' solos beautifully, and has them open up in chromatic tones that are simply mindblowing. This is the start of Montgomery's really classic years in the 60s jazz mainstream – and titles include the classic "Bumpin", plus "Mi Cosa", "Musty", "Con Alma", and "Tear It Down".

The second great session from two of Verve's biggest jazz stars of the 60s – organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery – an unlikely pair, to be sure, but one who work great together on the set! The real change here is in Wes' playing – as it's shifted from the mellower style used over larger backings on most of his Verve sets, back to the rootsier soul jazz tone of his earliest recordings from his days on the Indianapolis scene. Jimmy and Wes are working with a core combo that includes Grady Tate on drums and Ray Barretto on conga – making for a lean organ/guitar groove that's only got percussion to kick it along. Titles include "Call Me", "OGD", "King Of The Road", "Mellow Mood", and "Maybe September" – plus a great version of "Milestones" that features some hard swinging larger backings from Oliver Nelson!

The second great session from two of Verve's biggest jazz stars of the 60s – organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery – an unlikely pair, to be sure, but one who work great together on the set! The real change here is in Wes' playing – as it's shifted from the mellower style used over larger backings on most of his Verve sets, back to the rootsier soul jazz tone of his earliest recordings from his days on the Indianapolis scene. Jimmy and Wes are working with a core combo that includes Grady Tate on drums and Ray Barretto on conga – making for a lean organ/guitar groove that's only got percussion to kick it along. Titles include "Call Me", "OGD", "King Of The Road", "Mellow Mood", and "Maybe September" – plus a great version of "Milestones" that features some hard swinging larger backings from Oliver Nelson!

Excellent meeting between 2 mighty talents who rarely recorded together! Oliver Nelson did the arrangements and leads a big band, but the real focus is on Jimmy and Wes' solos, which are given a lot of room to roam in long tracks like "James & Wes", "Night Train", and "Down By The Riverside". Nice hard playing from Jimmy, with that great tone that he was getting in the mid 60's, and lots of very clean Hammond lines on his solos.

One of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wyton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks are longish, with some nice solos – and include the 13 minute original "No Blues", plus "If You Could See Me Now", "Unit 7", "Four On Six" and "What's New".

Mindblowing! This is when Wes Montgomery really starts to get interesting to us – when he's working with a top-line arranger like Don Sebesky, crafting some incredibly compelling chords over lightly jazzy arrangements and soaring strings, in a whole new mode of expression that would go onto transform a generation of guitar players! And sure, this album sold a gazillion copies – but we'll be honest in saying that we think it's loads more complex and mature than some of Wes' straight jazz sides from earlier years – light years away from the small combo dates of the early years, both in conception and sound. Titles include "Day In The Life", "Watch What Happens", "California Nights", "Windy", "Trust In Me", and "The Joker".

A pretty darn important album for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads".

Classic early Wes Montgomery – 2 Riverside sessions collected on one double LP, Movin' Along and Full House. Movin' Along features James Clay playing with the group, for the added bonus of a flute/tenor sound that you don't always get on Wes' guitar-heavy sessions. The record includes the nice groover "Movin' Along", plus "So Do It", "Sandu", and "Says You", which was written by Sam Jones, who plays bass on the session. Full House is another great set by Wes – recorded in a very lively live setting, with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. It's great to hear Griffin with Montgomery, and the two of them pair up nicely on the album's longer tracks – like "Full House" and "Cariba", both written by Montgomery, and the classic "Blue N Boogie" by Dizzy Gillespie.

Late work from Wes – recorded in the sublime CTI format that was really breaking down boundaries at the end of his career! Don Sebesky scored these great backings for the set – jazzy and easily swinging, featuring players like Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Grady Tate, Ray Barretto, Stan Webb, and strings – and Wes solos over the top in an incredibly laidback, warmly chromatic style. Titles include "I'll Be Back", "Road Song", "Yesterday", "Serene", "Green Leaves Of Summer", and "Fly Me To The Moon".

A classic from Wes Montgomery – and exactly the kind of record that made him a legend in the 60s! The set's one of Wes' collaborations with arranger Claus Ogerman – a key talent who was really on the rise at the time, and who understood how to perfectly balance Montgomery's unique sound on the guitar with larger arrangements in the back. There's a slightly Latin feel to some of the rhythms, as you might guess from the title – but it's very slight, and more there just to give the tracks a bit of a slink, in the classic full-on production way that Wes was using for his best Verve and A&M work in the late 60s. Titles include the classic groover "Bumpin On Sunset", plus the cuts "The Big Hurt", "Midnight Mood", "The Thumb", and "What The World Needs Now".

A collection of work from Wes' earlier years on Riverside – pulled together into a memorial package in the late 60s, after his untimely early death. Most of the tracks are in a small combo mode that's quite different from the later larger arrangements of Wes later years – and titles include "Jingles", "Body & Soul", "Sandu", "Grooveyard", "Cotton Tail", and "While We're Young".

Excellent meeting between 2 mighty talents who rarely recorded together! Oliver Nelson did the arrangements and leads a big band, but the real focus is on Jimmy and Wes' solos, which are given a lot of room to roam in long tracks like "James & Wes", "Night Train", and "Down By The Riverside". Nice hard playing from Jimmy, with that great tone that he was getting in the mid 60's, and lots of very clean Hammond lines on his solos.

A beautiful combination we'd like to hear more of – one that comes from the meeting of Milt Jackson's vibes and the guitar of Wes Montgomery – both recorded here in easygoing brilliance! The session's a nice break from the usual sound of both players at the time – and although Wes played a bit with vibes when working in The Montgomery Brothers, the Jackson approach here is a bit different – more soulful, and a bit more driven on by the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones. Titles include the originals "SKJ", "Blue Roz", "Jingles", and "Sam Sack" – plus versions of "Stairway To The Stars" and "Delilah".

A collection of sides cut in the early 60s by Wes for Riverside, collected later when the label was owned by ABC. There's a couple of cuts in a nice organ trio feature the great Mel Rhyne "Round Midnight" and "Yesterdays", plus several that feature his brothers Buddy and Monk or Johnny Griffin, Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers. There's a total of 9 tracks, including "Love Walked In", "Darn That Dream", "The Lamp Is Low" and "One For My Baby".

A pretty darn important album for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads".

Excellent meeting between 2 mighty talents who rarely recorded together! Oliver Nelson did the arrangements and leads a big band, but the real focus is on Jimmy and Wes' solos, which are given a lot of room to roam in long tracks like "James & Wes", "Night Train", and "Down By The Riverside". Nice hard playing from Jimmy, with that great tone that he was getting in the mid 60's, and lots of very clean Hammond lines on his solos.

Pianist Billy Taylor, working here in a really unique setting – a broadcast performance that has guitarist Wes Montgomery joining the trio for the whole session – plus vocals from Joe Williams on the second half! The core groove is great enough – given that Ben Tucker is on bass and Grady Tate is on drums – and the use of Wes' guitar next to Taylor's punctuated piano lines makes for a really great sound – a bit different than you'd hear on albums by either player as a leader. Adding in Williams really makes things special – especially since Joe didn't often work with a small group like this – and titles include "Capricious", "A Bientot", "The More I See You", "Freedom", "Paraphrase", "Until I Met You", "I Won't Cry Anymore", "All My Life", and "Alone Together".

One of the most successful albums ever from guitarist Eric Gale – a laidback understated player whose mellow sound had a tremendous influence on mainstream jazz funk in the 70s! The album takes off from the late 60s CTI and Verve sessions by Wes Montgomery – and features Gale riffing out chromatically over tightly woven arrangements by Bob James, who also plays keyboards on the set. There's no standout funky numbers on the record, but it's got a great conception overall – with lots of dreamy grooves that sound very nice! Titles include "Forecast", "Tonsue Corte", "White Moth", "Cleopatra", and "Dindi".

The last session that The Mastersounds ever cut as a group – and a strangely compelling montage of tracks from the musical Kismet. Brothers Buddy and Monk Montgomery are joined here by brother Wes – then an emerging star on guitar, and a strong addition to the set, one who expands the sound past the usual exotic chamber groove laid down by the combo. Titles include "Fate", "Olive Tree", "This Is My Beloved", "Not Since Nineveh", and "Stranger In Paradise".

A wealth of unusual records – not just under Oliver Nelson's name, but material for other artists too! The set features the Oliver Nelson-led sessions for Full Nelson, Fantabulous, Jazz Interactions Orchestra/Jazzhattan Suite, Kennedy Dream, and Sound Pieces – plus music from Jimmy Smith albums Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolff, Peter & The Wolf, Hoochie Coochie Man, Bashin, Hobo Flats, Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery. Also features work from the albums Roll Em by Shirley Scott, Ray Brown/Milt Jackson, Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia Of Jazz All Stars, and Spirit Of 67 with Pee Wee Russell.

Smooth mellow jazz funk from guitarist Jimmy Ponder – a player who hit harder notes in earlier days, but who's playing here in a sweet slick style that's a bit Wes Montgomery, and a bit George Benson. Most of the tracks have large arrangements with backing vocals – but Jimmy's guitar is still out front, and we have to say that we actually really dig the super-dope style of production laid down by Sonny Lester. Titles include "Chasing That Face", "A Trip To The Stars", "A Clue", and "Turn".

Surprisingly sweet grooves from guitarist Jimmy Ponder – one of the few from the jazz funk generation who kept on going strong into the 80s! Jimmy's sound here is nicely laidback – a nice change from his smoother albums of a few years before, and set up in an almost-classic sort of mode with John Patton on organ! The sound isn't as hard-wailing as a Blue Note date from the 60s, but it's also pretty good too – nicely chromatic, and really showing the change in Ponder's approach to the guitar over the years – informed with a bit of Wes Montgomery phrasing, but still grooving overall. Patton's organ is never too dynamic, but always nice –a nd other players include James Anderson on tenor, Geary Moore on rhythm guitar, Eddie Gladden on drums, and Lawrence Killian on percussion. Titles include "I'll Always Be There", "Jump", "In A Mellow Tone", "When Love Comes My Way", and "Blues For Betty".

A great little set from guitarist Shungo Sawada – a player who was Japan's answer to Wes Montgomery in the 60s – and went onto cut some really nice records in later years too! This album's definitely one of that batch – and has a sparkling quality that's very much like Sawada's best work from earlier years, but with a bit less bossa nova in the mix – and more of a strong focus on his own great solos over larger orchestrations. The approach is a bit like Wes Montgomery on Verve or CTI in the late 60s – and titles include "Sjungo", "Django", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Darn Dat Dream", and "Straight No Chaser".

Charlie Parker classics in a variety of flavors – a great collection of material from the 50s, 60s, and 70s – all showing the huge influence of Bird's songwriting on the sound of modern jazz! The recordings here offer up a variety of formats, in a variety of different settings – piano jazz, guitar work, and hardbop horns – all pulled from the mighty vaults of Fantasy Records. Titles include "Parker's Mood" by Eddie Jefferson, "Scrapple From The Apple" by Blue Mitchell, "Yardbird Suite" by Art Pepper, "Confirmation" by Gene Ammons, "Now's The Time" by Frank Morgan, "Steeplechase" by Hampton Hawes, "Repetition" by Wes Montgomery, and "Billie's Bounce" by Johnny Griffin.

Two killers from Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom – both recorded near the start of his career! First up is Clean Sweep, killer set from a player who should have been huge – ultra-sweet guitarist Bobby Broom, a player we'd vote to become the next big heir to the sound of Wes Montgomery or George Benson! This debut set is a wicked mix of jazz and soul – recorded right at the best stretch of the early GRP label, with a similar blend and sense of depth as the label's initial albums by Don Blackman and Bernard Wright! The core groove focuses strongly on Broom's guitar, but there's also some great vocal numbers too – and it turns out that Bobby's a surprisingly good singer, too – with a nicely honest vocal approach that works great alongside his guitar. Arrangements are by Broom, Dave Grusin, and Marcus Miller – and titles include "No Bad Vibes", "Saturday Night", "Niqui", "Share My Love", "She's My Reason", and "Remember When". Next up is Livin For The Beat is the second LP by this oft-overlooked, but excellent Chicago soul jazz guitarist – and a record that's quite different than his first! Like the second album by Bernard Wright, fellow labelmate at GRP/Arista, Broom's moving into a mode that's more electro/"street" for this second album – which means that there's a lot of keyboards and electronic percussion on the set, giving some tracks a proto-breaking kind of sound – more of a street-level sound than the smoother jazz mode of the first set – which makes for a really surprising change, and helps keep the record away from mainstream fusion cliches of the time. The best cuts, though, are in a smooth 80s groove mode – and Broom shows that he's strong on the vocal tip as well as the guitar. Titles include "Let It Go", "Let's Stay Together", "Rubye", "He Said I Love You", "Beat Freak", "Give Me Your Love", and "Magic Johnson".

One of the best records we've ever heard by The Montgomery Brothers – an album that's combined from 2 different sessions, but which has quite a unified feel! Monk Montgomery plays Fender bass – and both groups feature work by Buddy and Wes Montgomery – Buddy on piano and Wes on guitar, of course! But almost even more exciting are the horn players – as one of the sessions features Pony Poindexter on alto, the other Harold Land on tenor – and both of them add a nice depth to the tracks that you don't always hear on other of the horn-less Montgomery Brothers sides – an edge, or "bite" that makes the album one of the most soulful Montgomery outings ever recorded. Tracks include "Renie", "Far Wes", "Lelia", "Wes Tune", and "Monk's Shop".

When it comes to soul jazz, you can't get any more classic than this! The title was one of the biggest jazz hits of the 60s – covered by countless other artists, but presented here in all its original brilliance in a group led by its composer, a young Nat Adderley! At the time of the record, Nat was making plenty big waves in the combo of brother Cannonball – but this set has him stepping out strongly as a leader – borrowing Bobby Timmons, Sam Jones, and Louis Hayes from Cannon's group – and also adding in Wes Montgomery on guitar and additional bass and cello work from Keeter Betts and Percy Heath. The tracks are all tight as a drum – and the record features seminal versions of "Work Song" and "Sack O Woe" – as well as the numbers "Scrambled Eggs", "Pretty Memory", and "Fallout" – all great!

Grant Green's last session as a leader – and although the tracks are a bit slicker than earlier work, the album's still pretty darn nice. The tracks are long in a CTI-type funky jazz mode, with arrangements by Mario Sprouse, and a nice little Latin feel to some of the best numbers. Green's solo ability is still quite good – and on the more uptempo tunes, he solos with that versatility and amazing dexterity that you'd find on his best earlier sessions. Other tracks have him in a mellower, more chromatic and Wes Montgomery-inspired mode – and titles include "Empanada", "Three Times A Day", "Nighttime In The Switching Yard", "Easy", and "Wave".

A stone classic from Kenny Burrell – a record that brought the guitarist to a whole new audience, with a wonderful sound that's a perfect summation of CTI at its best! The vibe here is perfect – spare, airy guitar lines from Burrell – playing with a freer style than usual, although with all of the deep soul of before – in ways that are a bit like the early Wes Montgomery material for CTI, but taken to the next level with a more sophisticated set of backdrops too! Don Sebesky handled arrangements, Freddie Hubbard solos alongside Kenny, and many track shave some mighty nice electric piano, too. Titles include funky track "Love Is The Answer", and mellower tunes "Child Is Born", "Do What You Gotta Do", and "Be Yourself". CD also includes the bonus tracks "A Child Is Born (alternate)", "Lost In The Stars", and "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men".

One of our favorite albums ever from Harold Land, and a great set that has a hard soul jazz feel – despite the "west coast" in the title. Harold's playing with a great group that includes Barry Harris, Joe Gordon, and Sam Jones – as well as guitarist Wes Montgomery, who's work on the session really gives it a soulful edge! The cover lists the rhythm section as "all-soul", and it's right, as the accompaniment for Harold here is more sensitive, and more swinging than on most of his other records. The set sparkles with brilliance, and with great relaxed soulful playing. Cuts include "Compulsion", "Ursula", "Terrain", "Klactoveedsedstene", and "West Coast Blues".

An excellent bit of soul jazz – completely rare in the original pressing, and one of the few early albums ever cut by organist Melvin Rhyne! Rhyne first came to prominence as the organist with Wes Montgomery – and he hailed from Montgomery's hometown of Indianapolis, and had the distinction of appearing on an early trio album with Wes. This rare side as a leader has Rhyne heading up an all-star cast that includes Blue Mitchell, Johnny Griffin, Andy Simpkins, and Albert Tootie Heath – plus fellow Indiana resident Gene Harris, who plays piano on the session, which makes for a very unusual combination next to the organ! The tracks are all quite long – and the session's a lot more down-and-dirty than the usual work that was recorded on the Jazzland and Riverside labels, stretching out at an open-ended soul jazz pace that was much more the territory of Prestige Records. Tracks include "Blue Farouq", "Shoo Shoo Baby", and "Barefoot Sunday Blues".

One of the most important records from Wadada Leo Smith in years – an extended set of compositions that offer reflections on and reactions to the Civil Rights era in America! The work here stretches back to the 70s – as some of the tracks were penned by Smith many years ago, but have been brought together, and woven in with more recent music to form a rich tapestry in sound – one that's performed partly by Smith's Golden Quartet/Quintet – and partly by the Southwest Chamber Music ensemble! The sound is stunning – some of the richest, most expressive material we've ever heard from Leo – and the core group features Smith on trumpet, Anthony Davis on piano, John Lindberg on bass, and both Pheeroan Aklaff and Susie Ibarra on drums – while the Southwest group brings in added chamber instrumentation on strings and clarinet. Aklaff plays a few striking solo percussion numbers – and titles include "The Freedom Riders Ride", "The Little Rock Nine", "John F Kennedy's New Frontier & The Space Age", "Black Church", "Rosa Parks & The Montgomery Bus Boycott", "Democracy", and "Medgar Evers A Love Voice Of A Thousand Years' Journey".

Great rockabilly sounds from a tiny Texas label – an imprint so small it only pressed up 300 copies of each of its singles – and never reissued them at all! This long-overdue package really digs deep into the Wolf-Tex label – to come up with a handful of gems that really illuminate the company's contribution to music at the start of the 60s – raw tunes that bring together the best elements of early rock, rough-edged country, and even a trace of Western swing at times. All tracks are pretty rare, and the set also features a few unissued numbers too – and titles include "How Much Do You Miss Me", "The Gospel Will Speak", and "Back To Old Wyoming" by Harold Montgomery; "Rock In My Arms" by Herman Stone, "Marguerite" by Ralph & Roy, "My Three Sorrows" by Col Ralph Red McKee, "Waves On The Bayou" by Ramblin Roy Cunningham, and lots more – including some songs by unknown artists, and even a bit of a radio show too!

An incredible record from Bobby Hutcherson – easily one of his best of the 80s, and with some great touches that recall his best 70s work! The album title might fool you into thinking that Bobby's working in Charlier Parker territory here – but he's not, and is instead grooving in a mellow and soulful west coast mode – working with a totally great group that includes Ralph Moore on tenor and soprano sax, Buddy Montgomery on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. The whole album's a magical picture of tone, color, and light – but the especially standout track is "Sierra" – a totally killer number that has these arch angles and edges that rival the best sounds heard on Hutcherson's Montara album! Other titles include "On The Delta", "Crusisin The Bird", "Imminent Treasures", and "All Or Nothing At All".