A Day In The Life - Wes Montgomery

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (6 March 1923 - 15 June 1968)[1] was an American jazz guitarist. He is generally considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Emily Remler, Kenny Burrell and Pat Metheny.

As is usual on Wes Montgomery's later recordings, underneath all the orchestrated strings, horns, and windwinds, there's a killer rhythm section hard at work, and A DAY IN THE LIFE is no exception, with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Grady Tate holding everything together. It's hard not to measure everything Montgomery did after 1963 against the four years of cooking, small-group albums he made for Riverside starting in 1959; the later, more arranged material is certainly less pure in terms of jazz content.

But the Verve and A&M albums were conscious attempts to market the guitarist to a wider audience, and as successful pop records, they gave Montgomery some degree of financial security after years of struggling to support a family of six on a jazzman's income. What's remarkable in retrospect is the amount of blowing that does occur here. On "Eleanor Rigby," of all places, the band lays down a groove for Wes to riff over before the strings come cascading back in, and good things happen also on the two standards, "Watch What Happens," and "Willow Weep For Me."

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jeresey on June 6-8 & 26, 1967.

Personnel: Wes Montgomery (vocals); Margaret Ross (harp); Harry Glickman, Lewis Eley, Julius Brand, Harry Urbont, Tosha Samaroff, Leo Krucczek, Sylvan Shulman, Peter Buonconsigilio, Mac Ceppos, Jack Zayde, Harry Katzman, Gene Orloff (violin); Harold Coletta, Emanuel Vardi (viola); Stanley Webb (bass flute, woodwinds); George Marge, Joe Soldo, Romeo Penque (bass flute); Phil Bodner (woodwinds); Ray Alonge (French horn); Herbie Hancock (piano); Grady Tate (drums); Jack Jennings, Joe Wohletz, Ray Barretto (percussion).

Liner Note Author: Johnny Mangus.

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (06/06/1967-06/26/1967).

Personnel includes: Wes Montgomery (guitar); Don Sebesky (arranger, conductor); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Grady Tate (drums); Ray Baretto (percussion).

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  Music

[doctord185]

Thanks dad, for introducing me to music like this as a child.......

[Kay Plath]

Hell of a man. To come from nowhere with a thumb, and  then master music.

[khordkutta]

statik selektah used it on Action Bronsons "White Silk"

[Kay Plath]

Yes. The Beatles. Wes jazzed up a few Beatles songs. Good for Both of them.

[jade stewart]

even better than original

[iamnotanumberiamaman]

I recognise the first couple of Bars from somewhere.. a sample used either by Cut Chemist/Dj Shadow or Numark/Pomo

[Florence Sullivan]

I was in college when this album came out I played it till it was white.

[Seku Imani]

normally i have too much class for this but....KAY! you're a dumbass

[Kay Plath]

Sell out? Good Music is not limited like that! Eleanor Rigby are anything else.

[mfreeman313]

This is an interesting interpretation by a jazz guitar god of a strange, fascinating song and I'd love for the people who are primed to yell "sellout" at any jazz artist's attempt to find broader appeal to explain why you'd pick "A Day in the Life" for pandering purposes. Sarah Vaughan got called a sellout, and so did Bird, for Christ's sake, which I think is enough right there to inoculate anyone against taking the charge seriously. Even artists have to eat, right?