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The mellow tones and linear melodies of Indianapolis' guitarist
Wes Montgomery (1925) were almost the antithesis of of bebop's aesthetic.
Compared with Charlie Christian and Kenny Burrell, he had neither the dynamics of
the former nor the ambition of the latter. His rare compositions were short
and to the point:
Jingles, off The Wes Montgomery Trio (october 1959),
West Coast Blues and Four on Six on The Incredible Jazz Guitar (january 1960), by a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan,
Twisted Blues, off So Much Guitar (august 1961), by a quintet with pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and the congas of Ray Barretto,
Blues Riff, off Portrait (october 1963).
In 1964 he began recording with orchestras arranged by Don Sebesky, and
eventually ended up playing easy-listening muzak.
Montgomery died in 1968.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Martino Valbusa)
Le melodie lineari e il timbro caldo della chitarra di Wes Montgomery
(Indianapolis, 1923) furono quasi l'antitesi dell’estetica bebop. Montgomery
non aveva né la dinamica di Charlie Christian, né l'ambizione
di Kenny Burrell. La brevità delle sue rare composizioni andava dritta al
punto: Jingles, da The Wes Montgomery Trio (ottobre 1959), West
Coast Blues e Four on Six su The Incredible Jazz Guitar
(gennaio 1960) in quartetto col pianista Tommy Flanagan, Twisted Blues
da So Much Guitar (agosto 1961) in quintetto con Hank Jones (piano), Ron
Carter (contrabbasso) e Ray Barretto (congas), Blues Riff da Portrait
(ottobre 1963). Nel 1964 iniziò a registrare con orchestre arrangiate da Don
Sebesky e finì col suonare facili musiche di sottofondo.
Montgomery morì nel 1968.
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