Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery

Originally released on Riverside in 1960, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery was recorded over just two days at the Reeves Sound Studios in New York City. Joining guitarist Wes are Tommy Flanagan (piano), Percy Heath (bass) and his brother Albert Heath (drums), one of the smallest groups Wes would record with during the course of his career. Yet what stands out more than anything are two innovations from Wes; his thumb picking playing style and the use of octaves. Both fans and critics have lauded this album as the pinnacle of his studio work. It has been described variously as it burst onto the US scene in 1960 like a benign hurricane, and it still sounds like a gale 50 years later and this established him as the most formidable modern guitarist of the era and eventually its most influential. The album remains one of the most revered in jazz circles and should be an essential addition to any jazz collection.