Search - Wes Montgomery :: Wes Montgomery's Finest Hour

Certainly Not His Finest Hour

dredzo | KCMO | 04/09/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you are new to John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery, there are much better albums to get yourself acquainted with his talent. Wes was known for his incredible melodies, and his octave playing, which he did with the side of his thumb (a practice he developed to keep his playing while practicing in his small living room! Watch George Benson or The Tonight Show's Kevin Eubanks to see this technique mastered today). Although technically not the best player, Wes' melodies are what set him apart from the rest of his contemporaries, and what made him such an influential artist to this day.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to discern his genius within most of the tracks of this album. To become a greater commercial success, Wes signed up with Verve, whose producers decided to drown out most of his guitar playing with LOUD brass sections and strings, relegating him to mostly comping in the background. Many have termed this Wes' "selling out". It did work, as the cover tunes and LOUD brass arrangements did sell more albums and garner more airplay. However, Wes' success was short-lived, as he died of a heart attack in 1968 at the young age of 45.

Most of the Verve tracks will sound very dated to today's listener, and sound suited best for elevators in outdated and cheesy hotels.

If one is new to Wes, and wants to hear his true genius, the first selections should be from his earlier Riverside label collection. These tracks let his talent shine through, without drowning it with garish and dated adornments."

A Pleasurable listen

J.L. Smith | Detroit | 04/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not going to re-hash the traditionalist vs sellout theme here.

I will however let it be known that I am not a fan of re-interpretations of current pop music in other forms. Things like these have traditionally smacked of embarrassing attempts at relevancy, Ala "Peace Love & Pops" by Arthur Fielder and The Boston Pops Orchestra.

BUT, there are exceptions, and this is one.

Yes, some of these tracks don't quite work. I was dissapointed with "Milestones" a personal favorite. Something's lost in this arrangements really slow tempo (not Montgomery's playing). It has all the soul of a Wal-Mart.

But for the most part, this is a really strong crossover piece with moments that just shine.

If you're not tappin' and snappin' to "Up And At It" "Impressions" and the wonderful "Twisted Blues" you ain't livin' Brother!

If this is cheesy elevator music in a equally bad hotel, then book me for a stay.

As I found this a pleasant musical snapshot of the late 60's filled with trademark Wes harmonics.

Overall a better attempt at this type of recording than most.

"

FAR from his finest hour, but still better than some others'

Mack Butcher | Austin, TX | 08/02/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Here's the deal. If "smooth jazz" just makes you cringe, stay away from this title. If you like "smooth" or "groove" jazz, this is quite good. Personally, I don't generally care for any of those genres, but I make an exception for this album.



Most of the music here is not what I consider jazz - not serious or "real" jazz, anyway. And if you want to hear Wes playing jazz guitar, or hear him playing at the top of his form, look for the albums on Riverside and Pacific (I recommend "Incredible Jazz Guitar", "Boss Guitar" and "So Much Guitar", but they're all good).



In the words of Wes himself: "There's a jazz conception to what I'm doing, but I'm playing popular music and it should be regarded as such." These are pop/groove instrumentals with a "jazzy" feel - and as a serious jazz fan, I dislike almost anything that can be described as "jazzy". This music is a rare exception, but it's not really jazz and unless you're looking for old-style smooth/pop "jazz", there are MUCH better Wes Montgomery albums out there.



So - I give it 3 stars because, in the end, I find that I actually enjoy listening to it. I prefer any of his jazz albums to this, but for light listening or background music, this is not bad at all. For lounge music, it's actually quite fine."