With Pony Poindexter on alto saxophone, Harold Land on tenor saxophone, Buddy Montgomery on piano, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Louis Hayes and Tony Bazley on drums, . CD

Wes Montgomery on guitar – with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Buddy Montgomery on vibes, and Monk Montgomery on bass. CD

With grooves this great, the house must have been full – and the album's a gem of an early live date by Wes Montgomery, recorded in Berkeley with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The tunes have a nicely cooking feel throughout – even when they're more gentle ones – and the record's a good reminder that outside of the studio, Wes could sometimes play with a bit more force on the strings – raspily hitting notes that explode off the guitar with tremendous precision and a good deal of feeling. Titles include the Montgomery originals "Full House", "SOS", and "Cariba", plus the tunes"Blue N Boogie" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing fancy, but a wonderfully stripped-down session that has an early Wes working with his original group that included Mel Rhyne on organ. The album's one of the few from the time that allow you to hear Rhyne grooving away in a down-home Indiana style – and the set list is made up of Montgomery originals like "Missile Blues", "Geno", and "Fried Pies", plus a few pop covers. LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all of whom lay back and mostly let Wes take center stage – sparkling on a number of original tunes that include "West Coast Blues", "Mister Walker", and "D Natural Blues". Other tracks include a great fast take on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", plus "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Wes Montgomery's grooviest records of the 60s – a wonderful collaboration with the great Johnny Pate – a jazz artist at heart, but also working here as a soulful arranger who gives Wes' guitar a nicely different flavor than some of his other Verve albums of the time! Pate's probably best known for his famous work in the studio with The Impressions in the 60s – and he uses that soulful legacy to craft some very groovy charts for Montgomery – nicely upbeat at times, yet still filled with those amazing chromes from the guitar! Wes is playing here with a groove that you'll be hard pressed to find in some of his other records, while Johnny and the band go to town in kind of a soul jazz style – on titles that include "Movin Wes (parts 1 & 2)", "Moca Flor", "Theodora", "Senza Fine", and "West Coast Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Wes Montgomery with a bit of sax and flute – a nice change from the sound of some of his other early records, thanks to key work on the set from James Clay! Clay plays mostly flute on the record, but does so with a hard edge that reminds us of Frank Wess' work from the same stretch – really bringing a raspy edge to the record, and seeming to bring out the same in Wes' guitar work. The rest of the group includes Victor Feldman on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and titles include the nice groover "Movin' Along", plus "So Do It", "Sandu", "Tune Up", and "Says You". CD

A compilation of Wes' sides for the Riverside label, pulled together when the imprint was briefly owned by ABC at the end of the 60s. The set is a hodge podge of cuts from quite a few previous albums, and includes live material, sessions where Montgomery was a sideman, orchestral backings, a guitar solo and some tight small group work, with a host of great sidemen that include Mel Rhyne, Nat Adderley, Louis Hayes, Harold Land, Tommy Flanagan, the Heath brothers, the Montgomery brothers, Milt Jackson, Johnny Griffin and Wynton Kelly among others. 9 numbers in all, including "Whisper Not", "MeanTo Me", "West Coast Blues", "While We're Young", "Mr Walker", "Love For Sale", "Stairway To The Stars",'Cariba" and "Tune Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully lofty work from the great Wes Montgomery – a set that was recorded quite late in his too-short career, and really points the way towards some of the sophisticated sounds that might have followed, had Wes not left this planet all too soon! Don Sebesky is at the head of the charts this time around, and while the vibe echoes some of the other work that Montgomery did with larger backings in the period, there's also a nice current of darkness too – this intensity that can come through, even if the tune is a familiar pop number. The ensemble is filled with great players – Herbie Hancock and Hank Jones on piano, Stan Webb on flute, Grady Tate on drums, and Ray Barretto on percussion – and titles include "I'll Be Back", "Road Song", "Yesterday", "Serene", "Green Leaves Of Summer", and "Fly Me To The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Movin Wes - Parts 1 & 2", "Green Peppers", "Boss City", "Impressions", "In And Out", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Bumpin" – 16 tracks in all. CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully-recorded material by the great Wes Montgomery – some fairly open-ended tracks recorded for French radio in the 60s – with guest work from tenorist Johnny Griffin on a number of tunes! The core group here is great enough on its own – as Wes' guitar is backed by superb piano from Harold Mabern – who's really opening his flow at this time in his career, and makes for some really imaginative collaboration here with Montgomery – and the rest of the combo features tight rhythm from Arthur Harper on bass and Jimmy Lovelace on drums. The addition of Griffin is a nice surprise – especially as Montgomery wasn't often playing with tenor in a small group setting by this point – and titles include "Twisted Blues", "Blue N Boogie/West Coast Blues", "Full House", "To wane", "Jingles", "Impressions", "Four On Six", and "Round Midnight". CD

A strange little record, but a great one too – a posthumous album that took older Wes Montgomery sides and souped them up a bit after his death! The core material here is quartet recordings done in 1965 – Montgomery's guitar in a hip group with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – other material recorded at the same time as the Smokin At The Half Note set, discovered later by Verve, and augmented with fuller backings from Claus Ogerman for this record in 1968. In contrast to some of Wes' other albums of this nature, the core combo grooving was done first, which then ends up directing Ogerman's arrangements – and not the other way around – making for a really unique mix of sounds, especially on some of the longer tracks. Titles include "Four On Six", "Oh You Crazy Moon", "Willow Weep For Me", "Misty", "Impressions", and "Portrait Of Jennie". CD

Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton 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. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

One of the original Fantasy LPs that the Montgomery Brothers cut when they were just wee lads from Indianapolis who'd showed up on the west coast with their guitar, vibes, and electric bass in hand. Wes, Buddy, and Monk play a lively live set that has a lot more swing than usual, and which grooves nicely on just about every cut. Paul Humphrey is the drummer, which probably explains the groove, and the tracks include a tasty cover of "Jeanine", plus "Green Dolphin Street", "Beaux Arts", and "Snowfall". LP, Vinyl record album

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A beautiful live performance from the Oscar Peterson trio, and one that's right up there with the best Verve material of the early 60s – in part because Norman Granz presented the whole concert on the stage in The Netherlands! The group here is Peterson's second famous combo – with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and Oscar is at that majestically fluid spot that made his 60s material even more incredible than his 50s work – served up with a fantastic command of the keyboard, and maybe even more of a soulful swing, thanks to Thigpen and Brown! Some tracks here are nice and long – and titles include "I Remember Clifford", "Where Do I Go From Here", "Band Call", "Politics & Poker", "Con Alma", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

An unusual live date for Oscar Peterson – in that it wasn't actually officially recorded by Verve, but done by a fan and handed over to Norman Granz at a later date! Given that origin, though, the material is quite strong – recorded with an edge that's slightly earthier than usual for Verve at the time, but with a clarity that still beautifully displays Peterson's dynamic work on the keys – as well as the gentle guitar backing of Herb Ellis and the always-great bass tones of Ray Brown. Titles include "Daahoud", "Bluesology", "Budo", "Evrev", and "We'll Be Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Ray Brown on bass. CD

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Some of jazz's most sensitive artists get together in a lyrical set of light-handed ditties. Shearing's piano is a surprisingly nice complement to the vibes/bass/guitar sound of The Montgomery Brothers – and the group is augmented by some nice Latin percussion. Tracks are short, and titles include "Double Deal", "Mambo In Chimes", "Lois Ann", "And Then I Wrote", and "No Hard Feelings". LP, Vinyl record album

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! LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album in the Verve Records catalog of the 60s – a set that's not only a fantastic meeting between two superstar jazz musicians, with Jimmy Smith on Hammond and Wes Montgomery on guitar – but one that also takes things in a whole groovy new dimension, thanks to the arrangements of Oliver Nelson! Nelson is at his soulful best here – working on hard-swinging charts that almost seem to liberate Jimmy and Wes to do even more with their solos – really stretching out, with an especially great sound from Smith on the organ – maybe at a level that makes the record one of his best of all time for Verve! Titles include "James & Wes", "Night Train", "13 (Death March)", and "Down By The Riverside". CD

A really wonderful album in the Verve Records catalog of the 60s – a set that's not only a fantastic meeting between two superstar jazz musicians, with Jimmy Smith on Hammond and Wes Montgomery on guitar – but one that also takes things in a whole groovy new dimension, thanks to the arrangements of Oliver Nelson! Nelson is at his soulful best here – working on hard-swinging charts that almost seem to liberate Jimmy and Wes to do even more with their solos – really stretching out, with an especially great sound from Smith on the organ – maybe at a level that makes the record one of his best of all time for Verve! Titles include "James & Wes", "Night Train", "13 (Death March)", and "Down By The Riverside". LP, Vinyl record album

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Great work from this ultra-hip trio – an amazing combination of keyboards, bass, and drums – served up in styles that are rooted in funk and jazz, but go to so many other places as well! The drums crackle with a quality schooled in 70s breaks and beats, stripped down to their core – and the mix of keyboards echo a range of innovators from CTI to Money Mark, with a spacious flow that leaves plenty of room for the basslines to drive the tunes! Other instrumentation includes bits of guitar and percussion from the group, plus some guest tenor and strings as well. Titles include "Hedron", "Differently Still", "Confessions", "Triangle", "Can't Leave The Night", "CS60", and "Since You Asked So Kindly". LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

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)". CD

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With grooves this great, the house must have been full – and the album's a gem of an early live date by Wes Montgomery, recorded in Berkeley with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The tunes have a nicely cooking feel throughout – even when they're more gentle ones – and the record's a good reminder that outside of the studio, Wes could sometimes play with a bit more force on the strings – raspily hitting notes that explode off the guitar with tremendous precision and a good deal of feeling. Titles include the Montgomery originals "Full House", "SOS", and "Cariba", plus the tunes"Blue N Boogie" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". This great set brings together a full batch of alternate takes from the sessions, some appearing here for the first time ever, some on vinyl-only releases – with different versions of "Blue N Boogie", "Cariba", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Born To Be Blue", "SOS", and a take on "Full House" with the original solo restored! CD

With grooves this great, the house must have been full – and the album's a gem of an early live date by Wes Montgomery, recorded in Berkeley with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The tunes have a nicely cooking feel throughout – even when they're more gentle ones – and the record's a good reminder that outside of the studio, Wes could sometimes play with a bit more force on the strings – raspily hitting notes that explode off the guitar with tremendous precision and a good deal of feeling. Titles include the Montgomery originals "Full House", "SOS", and "Cariba", plus the tunes"Blue N Boogie" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". CD features 5 bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Cariba", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Born To Be Blue", and "SOS". CD

With grooves this great, the house must have been full – and the album's a gem of an early live date by Wes Montgomery, recorded in Berkeley with a quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The tunes have a nicely cooking feel throughout – even when they're more gentle ones – and the record's a good reminder that outside of the studio, Wes could sometimes play with a bit more force on the strings – raspily hitting notes that explode off the guitar with tremendous precision and a good deal of feeling. Titles include the Montgomery originals "Full House", "SOS", and "Cariba", plus the tunes"Blue N Boogie" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

Collects 25 tracks – including the entire Smokin' At The Half Note album – and features work with Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Smith, Oliver Nelson, and others. CD

They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all of whom lay back and mostly let Wes take center stage – sparkling on a number of original tunes that include "West Coast Blues", "Mister Walker", and "D Natural Blues". Other tracks include a great fast take on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", plus "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". CD

So much guitar – but never too much, given that Wes was the real master of sound and space, even at this early point in his career! The album's one that tries to break Montgomery from some of his smaller combo albums for Riverside, and pair him with a few bigger names – Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Lex Humphries on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas – who gives the album that bottom "kick" sort of groove that was used often on soul jazz sessions from the time. The tune's lope around leanly and cleanly, giving plenty of focus on Wes' work on guitar – and titles include "Twisted Blues", "Repetition", "Somethin' Like Bags", and "While We're Young", which is a solo track by Wes. LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of numerous two-fers offered by Milestone in the early 70s, compiling recordings by artists that fell under the Fantasy records catalog umbrella at the time, in this case, the Riverside recordings of Wes Montgomery. There are two groups documented here, a quintet and sextet, the first featuring Milt Jackson, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones and Philly Joe Jones and the second his 2 brothers Buddy and Monk, plus George Shearing, Walter Perkins and Armando Peraza. 18 tracks in all, including "Stablemates", "Stairway To the Stars", "Sam Sack", "Jingles", "Delilah", "Love Walked In", "Love For Sale", "Enchanted", "Stranger In Paradise", "The Lamp Is Low", "Darn That Dream" and "Mambo In Chimes". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album in the Verve Records catalog of the 60s – a set that's not only a fantastic meeting between two superstar jazz musicians, with Jimmy Smith on Hammond and Wes Montgomery on guitar – but one that also takes things in a whole groovy new dimension, thanks to the arrangements of Oliver Nelson! Nelson is at his soulful best here – working on hard-swinging charts that almost seem to liberate Jimmy and Wes to do even more with their solos – really stretching out, with an especially great sound from Smith on the organ – maybe at a level that makes the record one of his best of all time for Verve! Titles include "James & Wes", "Night Train", "13 (Death March)", and "Down By The Riverside". CD

Mighty nice work from drummer Francesco Sotgiu – a player we're not sure we've ever heard at the helm before, but who does a superb job with a very cool Italian combo that moves between modal numbers and more hardbop-styled jazz – all with plenty of strong sounds from reed players Emanuele Cisi and Riccardo Luppi, both of whom really make the record soar! Both players handle tenor and soprano, and Luppi blows a bit of flute – in a combo that also features excellent work from Salvatore Maiore on bass, a player with a bold sound that matches the crispness of Sotgiu's drums in the mix – sewn together by these massive piano lines from Luigi Bonafede. Palo Fresu plays guest trumpet on the title "My Foolish Heart" – and other cuts include "Wise One", "7th Street", "Wishes", "Ballad For Aisha", "Stranatole", "Calm", "Lotus Blossom", "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love", "Passing", and "Black Bats & Poles". LP, Vinyl record album

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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". LP, Vinyl record album

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". CD

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We love Marian Montgomery – and she's a heck of a great singer with a really unusual sound! In an early 60s work of sultry vixens, Marian's got a harder-swinging groove that's almost in a Ray Charles mode – clearly inspired by 50s R&B, but done with enough of a jazz flourish to expand out the sound nicely. Plus, she's got a really rhythmic approach to her work, no matter what the tune – which makes for an uncanny ability to turn even a sleeper into a surprising swinger. Here, it also helps that Dick Hyman's handling the arrangements – playing organ and piano himself on the record, and working with a small combo that includes Kenny Burrell, Joe Newman, Milt Hinton, and Willie Rodriguez. The whole thing's plenty great – and titles include "Breezin Along With The Breeze", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "My Buddy", "The Exciting Mister Fitch", "Deed I Do", and "All By Myself". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty cool set – one that dips back into Wes' early recordings for Riverside, and brings together a bunch of alternate takes of the tunes that appeared on albums like Full House, Guotar On The Go, Bags Meets Wes, and Groove Yard. Players on the tracks include Johnny Griffin, Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, Mel Ryne, Milt Jackson, Buddy Montgomery, Monk Montgomery, and James Clay – and the album features alternate takes of tunes that include "Tune Up" (2 versions, one with strings!), "Bock To Bock", "Movin Along", "Besame Mucho", "Fried Pies", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Born To Be Blue" and "Jingles". CD

A collection of sides cut in the mid 60s by Wes during his association with Verve. Culled from the albums Movin' Wes, Bumpin', Goin' Out Of My Head and Tequila, these numbers all feature the larger arrangements that gave those albums a richer sound than his small group recordings, though Wes' soulful playing shines over top. Arrangements are by Oliver Nelson, Johnny Pate, Claus Ogerman and Don Sebesky and the tracks are 'Tequila", "Movin' Wes (part 1)", "End Of A Love Affair", "Naptown Blues", "Con Alma", "Goin' Out of My Head", "How Insensitive (Insensatez)", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Caravan" and "Bumpin' On Sunset". LP, Vinyl record album

Early greatness from Wes Montgomery – and a session that's got a gritty edge that takes Wes back to his Indianapolis roots! The album's one of the few of the time to feature the unsung Hammond hero Mel Rhyne – a player who worked with Wes at his start, but has only gotten stronger acclaim in recent decades as part of his comeback. Rhyne's a key force in the record – working alongside Montgomery's guitar and the drums of Jimmy Cobb – in a loose, open trio that has Mel participating as strongly in the rhythms as he does in the solo side of the album. Titles include a few Montgomery originals – "The Trick Bag" and "Fried Pies" – plus the tunes "Besame Mucho", "Dearly Beloved", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Canadian Sunset", "The Breeze & I", and "For Heaven's Sake". CD includes bonus tracks "Besame Mucho (take 2)", "Trick Bag (take 6)", and "Fried Pies (take 1)". CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all of whom lay back and mostly let Wes take center stage – sparkling on a number of original tunes that include "West Coast Blues", "Mister Walker", and "D Natural Blues". Other tracks include a great fast take on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", plus "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". CD

An excellent addition to any collection of Wes Montgomery's work – a rare album of live material from his early years, recorded in a style that really enriches an understanding of his work! 4 tracks with Billy Hart and brothers Buddy and Monk Montgomery – grooving with Wes in that soulful easy mode that the latter two used often in their Mastersounds group. The set's well recorded – and Wes has a fat tone that really points the way towards his later work. Includes lengthy takes on "All Of You" and "Back To Bach To Boch", plus "Heartstrings" and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

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". Also includes the bonus tracks "Wives & Lovers", "Big Hurt" plus other alternate takes. CD

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A great quintet performance with Don Cherry on trumpet, Henry Grimes on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – very similar to the Our Man In Jazz album! CD

Some of jazz's most sensitive artists get together in a lyrical set of light-handed ditties. Shearing's piano is a surprisingly nice complement to the vibes/bass/guitar sound of The Montgomery Brothers – and the group is augmented by some nice Latin percussion. Tracks are short, and titles include "Double Deal", "Mambo In Chimes", "Lois Ann", "And Then I Wrote", and "No Hard Feelings". CD

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With remixes by Frankie Knuckles! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the all-time classics from Jr Walker & The All Stars – key proof that Motown could groove even when nobody was laying down vocals! As you might guess from the title, the album features the group's huge hit "Shotgun", plus lots of other cool funky little tracks like "Cleo's Back", "Tune Up", "Monkey Jump", "Do The Boomerang", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Shoot Your Shot", and lots more! The album's one of the group's strongest for Motown – and features that tight snapping groove that helped Jr take the tenor out of the R&B sound of the 50s, and place it into a whole new mode for the soulful 60s! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

The complete Columbia Records studio sessions from pianist Denny Zeitlin – and a package that features a fair bit of unreleased material too – not just alternate takes, but loads of fresh new tunes recorded at the time – appearing here for the first time ever! Zeitlin's a hell of a pianist, especially during these years – a really fresh 60s talent who works with a sound that's both warmly lyrical and somewhat modern – stylistically rooted in Bill Evans' inspiration, but clearly his own man by the time of these recordings! Denny's never fully gotten his due, and reissues over the years have been spare – so this package is not only a much-needed look as his mighty talents, but also a key discovery of 12 previously unreleased numbers. Players include Charlie Haden, Cecil McBee, and Joe Halpin on bass – and Freddie Waits, Oliver Johnson, and Jerry Granelli on drums. Titles include "Blue Phoenix", "Spring Is Here", "Western Thing", "Slipstream", "Later", "Labyrinth", "The Journey Home", "Carole's Garden", "Skippying", "Carnival", "Dormammu", "Living Alone", "Night & Day", "Maiden Voyage", "Nica's Tempo", "Cathexis", and "Repeat". CD

A great little set, even if it's not what you might expect – not the kind of cuts that heralded the early years of country soul – and instead an even cooler batch of tracks from those years when R&B and hillbilly records often crossed paths on the postwar scene! Many of the small indie labels of the 50s recorded both country and blues, sometimes even having different artists take on the same songs, but in different ways – which meant that there was often a lot of cross-pollination going on in the farther reaches of the music business! The cuts here definitely show that approach – as a good many of them were originally country hits for other singers, but sound great and very different in the hands of R&B artists – and are mixed with a few others that follow similar themes, and really fit into the set in a great way. As always with Bear Family, the whole thing is presented with great notes and details on the music – in a set list of 29 tracks that include "Steel Guitar Rag" by Earl Hooker, "Sixteen Tons" by BB King, "Lovesick Blues" by Sonny Knight, "Big Mamou" by Smiley Lewis, "Ghost Riders In The Sky" by Scatman Crothers, "It'd Surprise You" by The Griffin Brothers with Margie Day, "Indian Love Call" by Hal Singer, "No Help Wanted" by Bob Gaddy & His Alley cats, "Cherokee Boogie" by Moose Jackson, "It Makes No Difference Now" by Piano Red, and "You Can't Stay Here" by Pearl Reaves & The Concords. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

A great addition to the 70s catalog of the legendary Can – a set of live recordings made in Stuttgart in 1975, all of which have the group working in this wonderfully long-jamming style! Tracks are long, and maybe even more proggy than the group's studio work of the time – an all-instrumental onslaught driven by the incredible drums of Jaki Leibezeit, with guitars from Michael Karoli, bass from Holger Czukay, and keyboards and electronics from Irmin Schmidt! Schmidt himself oversaw the entire release – and the way the tracks are put together is revelatory – a long-overdue look at the power the group had to offer in a concert setting – every bit as wonderful as their classic albums, but in a completely different way. LP, Vinyl record album