WES MONTGOMERY
Full House (Riverside/OJC)
Reviewed by Ron Saranich

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Montgomery's only live album produced for Riverside, Full House is a jazz listener's aural delight. Recorded in Berkeley, California in 1962, Wes assembled a top-notch band by matching the talents of Johnny Griffin, tenor saxophone with Wynton Kelly, piano, Paul Chambers, bass, and Jimmy Cobb, drums. These last three artists were the current rhythm section of the Miles Davis Sextet, playing a Monday night club date on their off night.

Montgomery is such an accomplished and smooth guitarist, its often easy to miss his brilliant rhythmic and chordal abilities. He played his instrument with his thumb, and this produce a mellow sound. However, on this live set, Montgomery flat out smoked. Obviously, Wes felt inspired by his band mates, because his playing contained that vital sense of urgency and passion that is present in all great music. On this night, Montgomery's improvisational skills were logical, limitless, and beautiful. Urged on by the fiery and speedy tenor of Griffin and the consummate piano of the great Kelly, Montgomery turned in a timeless performance. Of the nine songs contained on this remastered disc, six of them extended to seven minutes or beyond. Through it all, the rhythm section performed faultlessly.

The play list for this concert included originals, blues, standards, and Latin-tinged songs. Whatever musical idiom this group played, they did with a dynamic approach perfect for Montgomery's warm style. If you want to discover the essence of Wes Montgomery, before his orchestral works and subsequent over marketing, then Full House is essential. Also highly recommended is an earlier work titled The Incredible Jazz Guitar. Listen and learn why, during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Montgomery was simply considered the best.

© 2000 - Ron Saranich