Wes Montgomery "California Dreaming" (1966)

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (6 March 1923 - 15 June 1968) 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, and Pat Metheny.

Wes Montgomery was a true pioneer of the guitar he also had a huge influence on generations of players who folowed him, from Jimi Hendrix to Pat Metheny to Eric Johnson. His stylistic development can roughtly be broken down into two phases: the earier years when he played more straight bebop and later years when he was one of the progenitors of the smooth or soul jazz style. His physical technique was unique in that he picked notes primarily with his thumb and musically he had a rich texture to his playing featuring incredible chord-based leads and a preponderance of octaves. This all combined to give him his unique and influential sound and made him one of the most sought after players of his generation.

Montgomery toured with Lionel Hampton early in his career, however the combined stress of touring and being away from family brought him back home to Indianapolis. To support his family of eight, Montgomery worked in a factory from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, then performed in local clubs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. Cannonball Adderley heard Montgomery in an Indianapolis club and was floored. The next morning, he called record producer Orrin Keepnews, who signed Montgomery to a recording contract with Riverside Records. Adderly later recorded with Montgomery on his Pollwinners album. Montgomery recorded with his brothers and various other group members, including the Wynton Kelly Trio which previously backed up Miles Davis.

John Coltrane asked Montgomery to join his band after a jam session, but Montgomery continued to lead his own band. Boss Guitar seems to refer to his status as a guitar-playing bandleader. He also made contributions to recordings by Jimmy Smith. Jazz purists relish Montgomery's recordings up through 1965, and sometimes complain that he abandoned hard-bop for pop jazz towards the end of his career, although it is arguable that he gained a wider audience for his earlier work with his soft jazz from 1965-1968. During this late period he would occasionally turn out original material alongside jazzy orchestral arrangements of pop songs. In sum, this late period earned him considerable wealth and created a platform for a new audience to hear his earlier recordings.

Wes Montgomery died of a heart attack on June 15, 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana

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[NAThan9871]

@AfroDizzeac Wes kills already enough !

[9ihsanp9]

@guitarhero781 Cant forget SRV

[SkirtSoPlain]

I have added this video to my playlist entitled "Greatness."

The title of the playlist describes its content.

[toddallenhooper]

Awesome version of this song!

[bracico]

From Wes to John Mayer, come on you are kidding! leave the playboy jerking off with his strat!

[bjbrownell]

A friend of mine introduced me to this music in 1969. This friend was a lead guitarist in a prominent band in Miami before that. He used to say that Montgomery's thumb would be preserved at the Smithsonian after he died. Ken, are you still out there?

[wbomfimbr]

Just amazing!!!

[mahajohn]

@atomic116090 Frankly speaking, you're wrong. Jimi Hendrix was a watermark in western popular music, a veritable demi-god. You'd be hard-pressed to name another guitarist from the 1960s whose influence on music and musical sound has been more extensive. Not Jimmy Page. Not David Gilmour. Not Jeff Beck.

[eugenem072]

WES IS THE BEST DAM GUITAR PLAYER IN THE WORLD CHURCH?

[nimrodlev333]

@bosshallucy You can't ever compare those two. One is in jazz, acid jazz, the other in rock,acid rock,hard rock,psychedelic rock etc. Different things. Jimi Hendrix ones said :"You cannot compare Segovia and B.B King, They are both kings, in their own things", so it's the same thing about Jimi and Wes. Get it? Both got inspired by the other.

[Nanadsyl]

Wow did my dad love some Wes!!!

[Crowa1392]

@atomic116090 Well, let's be a little fair about it. I will admit his playing is definitly abnormal and somewhat atonal at times maybe. If we're going for all time I'm gonna have to say Malmsteen, and I mean that half kidding. Unfortunatly it's all subjective