Biography

Wes Montgomery started to teach himself guitar in 1943 (using his thumb rather than a pick) and toured with Lionel Hampton during 1948-1950. In 1960 the release of his album The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery made him famous in the jazz world. He was one of the great jazz guitarists, a natural extension of Charlie Christian, whose appealing use of octaves became influential and his trademark. He achieved great commercial success during his last few years. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack at the height of his success. However, Montgomery's influence is still felt on many young guitarists. ~ Scott Yanow

Top Tracks

• Click on the track to launch in Spotify

• 13 (death March)

• A Day In The Life

• Airegin

• All Of You

• All The Things You Are

• All The Way

• Au Privave

• Besame Mucho

• Billie's Bounce

• Blue And Boogie/west Coast Blues

• Blue 'n' Boogie/west Coast Blues

• Born To Be Blue

• Bumpin'

• Bumpin' On Sunset

• California Dreaming

• Caravan

• Chicken Shack Boogie

• Chim Chim Cheree

• Chim Chim Cheree [from Walt Disney's Mary Poppins]

• Come Rain Or Come Shine

• Con Alma

• Delilah

• Down By The Riverside

• Eleanor Rigby

• Everybody's Somebody's Fool

• For All We Know

• Four On Six

• Freddie Freeloader

• Full House

• Georgia On My Mind

• Goin' Out Of My Head

• Hamp's Gumbo

• I Say A Little Prayer For You

• If You Could See Me Now

• Impressions

• In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

• I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face

• James And Wes

• King Of The Road

• Love Theme From The Sandpiper: The Shadow Of Your Smile

• Mi Cosa

• Milestones

• Misty [overdubbed Version]

• Moanin'

• Monk's Shop

• Movin' Wes, Pt. 1

• Movin' Wes, Pt. 2

• Mr. Walker

• Musty

• New Central Avenue Breakdown

• Night Train

• No Blues

• O.g.d. (aka Road Song)

• Polka Dots And Moonbeams

• Road Song

• 'round Midnight

• Serene

• South Of The Border

• Summertime

• Sun Down

• Sunny

• Surrey With The Fringe On Top

• Tequila

• The Chant

• The Hucklebuck

• The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener

• The Way You Look Tonight

• There Will Never Be Another You

• Tune-up

• Twisted Blues

• Watch What Happens

• Wes' Tune

• West Coast Blues

• Willow Weep For Me

• Windy

• Wives And Lovers

• Yesterday's Child

Discography

• Click on the album to launch in Spotify

• Eulogy

  Verve

  1970

• Live at Jorgie's and More

  Vgm

  1968

• Further Adventure of J. Smith and W. Montgomery

  Verve

  1966

• Willow Weep for Me

  Universal Distribution

  1965

• Live in Paris

  France's Concert

  1965

• Impressions

  Affinity

  1965

• Solitude

  Affinity

  1965

• Live at Ronnie Scott's

  DCC Jazz / DCC Compact Classics

  1964

• Yesterdays

  Milestone Records

  1963

• At Tsubo-Berkeley, California

  1962

• Wes and Friends

  Milestone Records

  1961

• Kismet

  Pacific Jazz

  1958

• Fingerpickin'

  Blue Note / Pacific Jazz

  1958