WES MONTGOMERY
Dangerous (Milestone)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Dangerous combines six alternate tracks that have been available only on the Complete Riverside Recordings box set with three previously unreleased cuts by the Montgomery Brothers from a 1961 live date. It's fairly astonishing that there could still be unreleased material of this quality in the Wes Montgomery catalog thirty two years after his death, but the fact that there is indicates both the volume and quality of his recorded output.

The disc opens with the Montgomery Brothers (Wes, brothers Buddy and Monk on piano and bass, respectively, and drummer Bobby Thomas), which gives way to a quintet featuring Johnny Griffin's tenor and the Miles Davis rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Those cuts, and the three organ trio tracks that follow (with Melvin Rhyme on the keys and George Brown on drums) are drawn from the box set. For the closing cuts, it's the Montgomery Brothers again, this time with Buddy on vibes, and now matter how complete your collection, these will be new to you, and, if you're a Wes Montgomery fan, very pleasing.

Wes Montgomery consistently produced the kind of good music you can't get too much of, and with Dangerous you can now get just a little more.

Track List:

If I Should Lose You * S.O.S. * Yesterday's Child * Dangerous * Lolita * Blues Riff * Stella By Starlight (Take 1) * Stella By Starlight (Take 2) * On Green Dolphin Street

© 2000 - Shaun Dale