The line-up: Wes Montgomery guitar Buddy Montgomery piano Monk Montgomery electric bass Billy Hart drums Alvern Bunn congas Clips are from a television appearance on the People in Jazz program hosted by Jim Rockwell at WABX Studio, Detroit in early 1968. Rockwell is seen briefly a couple of times after interviewing Wes.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful video featuring the legendary genius Wes Montgomery and his fabulous brothers. Such a multi-talented family of great musicians.
Wes Montgomery, before his untimely death, helped create a new genre of music - adult contemporary or easy-listening. Wes himself said that he wasn't playing jazz on these recordings, but popular music. These recordings, despite being more-popular in their appeal, still stand as fine examples of Wes' artistry and craft. Even though the room to stretch out on these cuts may have been limited, Wes always managed to sneak in something memorable and musically-hip. He also won new fans for jazz with this music, people who would later enter the jazz world thanks to this taste of it. I am just happy that Wes' enormous talents were finally being recognized and that he at last found some commercial success and could provide for his family, which was very important to him as a man, husband and father.
@ Jerry Tubb: Re: "i really like Wes’ commercial pop tunes, he had a unique musical voice on the guitar, whether it was pop or deep jazz, love it all!" The all-time jazz greats - and Wes certainly qualifies on that score with plenty of room to spare - have the ability to make even the most-trite and simple of tunes sound absolutely wonderful. Although he and his production team didn't know it at the time, they were creating a new genre of music, one which combined jazz and pop elements in a way that allowed some jazzy sounds to go mainstream. A lot of music critics slammed Wes for going pop, but I see it differently. First off, Wes was a father and husband who took his economic responsibilities to his family very seriously, and the chance to finally make some decent bread and provide for them in the way he'd always wanted to do was a big deal to him, an opportunity he didn't want to miss. That speaks well of his quality as a man and a human being. Doing that type of material also introduced millions of listeners to jazz sounds, albeit within a pop framework, and those are many fans who would go on to become fans of the genuine article. What's wrong with that? Nothing, that I can see. And Wes and his band-mates always played pop material with the finest musicianship, taste and creativity. Their musical standards remained high.
I think whatever Wes Montgomery played he enjoyed it! It didn't matter whether it was pure jazz or commercial music because he always put his own twist on it. He was a master at interpretation!
Years ago I read an interview with Wes in which he expressed some dissatisfaction with his later records. He said that over his many years of playing and practicing he had developed certain techniques, and his more commercial records didn't give him the opportunity to utilize them. That being said, Wes had seven kids, was a family man, and the later records gave him a chance to support his family. I also once read a George Benson interview in which he said he was ready to give up full time playing and open up an electronics store. He felt he wasn't supporting his family well enough by playing full time, that winning Down Beat polls and making jazz records and touring didn't put enough food on the table. Shorty after that interview Breezin' came out, and G.B. started making some serious money.
There were two ways that Wes Montgomery going commercial (besides an increased income to support his large family): 1. For non-jazz fans to get into this music by taking popular songs into the Jazz world. 2. For Jazz fans to expand their musical horizons beyond the traditional standards.
@ Ronald Boykin: Wes never lost his love of playing straight-ahead jazz, as he recorded and played some of his finest jazz performances during the mid- and latter parts of his career after he'd left Riverside when the label folded around 1963. But he moved in a more-commercial mainstream direction, in part due to the influence of his producer at the time, Creed Taylor. First at Verve, then A&M Records. Wes freely admitted in interviews around this time that he wasn't working in the jazz style any longer, but in popular music. In reality, his taste, wonderful sound, creativity and charisma as a performer were helping to create a new genre of music, then called "easy listening," but later to be known as jazz crossover or light jazz. Regardless of what he played, a straight ahead burner bebop tune or in an orchestrated arrangement of a pop hit, his sound and taste always shown through. Whatever regret he felt at not playing jazz must have been tempered by the fact that in the last few years of his life, Wes Montgomery finally had a taste of the commercial success he had sought, and could finally provide financially for his family in the way he wanted. He was a giant, the likes of which we are unlikely to see ever again.
I read behind one of his records a while back, that his wife wanted him to play music that most people knew. Hence, the pop crossover as per her request.
@ thriftdig: Re: "Cool to see both Monk and Wes playing with the same thumb technique in the same frame." That's a great observation! Thanks for mentioning it. Wes gets so much attention that the quiet genius of his talented brothers sometimes doesn't get the credit it deserves. They - Monk on bass and Buddy on piano and vibes - were also extremely gifted musicians in their own ways. Monk was equally-capable of playing acoustic (stand-up) bass or electric, and he was one of the first legit jazz musicians to record and do gigs on an electric bass. He strung his with flat wounds, and played with the meat of his thumb to give it that fat, warm tone similar to an acoustic instrument. He used an electric partly by necessity since traveling by auto with a huge full-size acoustic bass is hard work. He was a real pioneer. I treasure the recordings the Montgomery Brothers did together.
Thanks for sharing this video, it's the first time I've seen Wes playing with his brothers!!! I did see Wes on the Mike Douglas Show but don't recall seeing Buddy and Monk on that program. Steve Braun
You can really hear the closeness and special feeling the Montgomery Brothers had playing together.... this is really wonderful... I wished it never would have ended! Anyone know the drummer and conga player? They are wonderful also....
@@sitarnut - Great album! They had something special when they were together, that's for sure... Buddy's vibes playing was very underrated, and he was underappreciated on piano, too. Monk was a wonderful bassist, too. So "Grooveyard" was an apt name...
To whoever commented on this earlier, I am guessing he had a faulty heart valve, by descriptions of how his attack progressed. Nice to see him playing with his brothers here. My regards to all Wes Montgomery fans, he was stunning in jaw dropping kind of way.
Aside from the fact that Wes was 'always' playing 'Music'..... His true genius is apparent at 5:08; 5:22; 5:52; 6:54; 7:08; and 7:37 in this vid which I adore about a minute ago ·
Que equilíbrio é esse da sonoridades dos instrumentos? é raro ver uma apresentação assim, onde todos os instrumentos se destacam e conversam entre si, show!!!!!!!!!!
Wes was connected totally to hearing the 12 tones applications and applications to express what he heard inside his imagination. There were many like him and who did not have transcribed solos and slow downer! Let that sink in! Plus it wasn't cool to be a clone than to far hipper audiences then those of today!
Wes began to play all C.C.'s repertoire he learnt note for note in rather a short period . He could easily memorize and print the pitch and play immediately on the neck of the guitar as he was able to locate any note with perfect "hearing'" anticipation . Django had semile ability .....and I guess the same for George Benson .
Monk Montgomery is credited for being one of the first "electric" bass players in music history if not the very first. Folklore goes that during the NAMM shows in the early 1950's, Leo Fender had a problem convincing traditional acoustic upright bass players to try out or to transition. LF needed someone credible like Monk to help convince other bass players and to promote what we now call the original Precision bass which later was renamed the Telecaster bass which is a lot less contoured as the later P bass and Jazz bass. Everyone be careful out there..
btw, to the cat who feels the recording executives killed Wes, don't know about that, but I do know that Wes smoked a pack and a half a day, along with all of the worse food of the day along with not enough sleep, long hours on the road...That life would kill you in 1968. and in 2014! Don't think playing to many octaves will cause a massive heart attack, but maybe I'm wrong?
***** that makes perfect sense. musicians now have wised up to stuff like that, and their's more platforms for labels by musicians for musicians. a lot of the guys back then just played. musicians on a large scale not as authenic as they were back then, know more about the politics of the biz. peace though man i love jazz and will continue to master it.
Wes worked 2or 3 jobs plus his late night music gigs before he was famous,chain smoked, and ‘vitamins’ to keep him awake so he could get through. Plus ,after his newfound success,the stress of travel and recording commitments didn’t help..and the stress of being a musician and a black jazz musician also may have but some extra burdens on his psychological self as well..
Ok Windy may be stretching it a bit but that 1st tune was pretty cool. Monk and Buddy were great musicians, and the early Montgomery Bros. stuff is some of my favorite Wes music.
This show was recorded less than two months before his sudden and unexpected passing in June of 1968. Although I was just a boy then, I'll never forget the day it was announced he had died. It's all I heard my parents and their friends talking about that day. Like all Wes fans, they were devastated. It left a giant hole in the center of the music world at that time, a testament to how broadly and deeply his music was felt by music lovers the world over, even among those who were not particularly drawn to jazz, per se. Whether they were drawn to jazz or not, everybody was drawn to Wes. His powers were magical.
@@ltravail Brother, in 1968 my brother and I went to the Barber Shop, whilst sitting in the chairs a high school Pal yells out, "Hey that guitarist you guys love is Dead." That ruined that day and every day since. We still thrive on his vinyl we bought when new. "Incredible Jazz Guitar" flipped a lot of wigs. We saw in 1967 at McFarland Auditorium in Dallas. Never forget it.
+Robert Wright I started playing the congas for latino music, and I feel they greatly enhance most kinds of music. Errol Garner often used congas. I tried the same with bongos, but the bass of the congas was missing. The tuning of the congas is critical I feel.
Opinions are like duo-fuggin-denums....everyone's got one. I guess you're the lone, oh so edgy person on this comment section . Enjoy that rare status!!
@ John Gafa: While it is true that playing such trite fare was - in a sense -a waste of Wes' enormous talents, he was not unhappy to get such gigs - the reason being how hard he had struggled for so many years to provide for his wife Serene and seven kids. Kudos from jazz magazines and critics don't pay the bills, nor do they sell records in the numbers needed to make any real dough. I have a somewhat different perspective, on those years in Wes' career. Like Herbie Hancock, Wes could make anything sound good, even the most-hackneyed old warhorse of a song, or the lightest light-weight pop number. In other words, he may be playing "Windy" or "Going Out of My Head," but he'd turn them into something memorable in a way that very few artists could.
@@loontil Well, enjoy 'Windy' and ' Going out of my head...' then. His career, God bless him, was his own business, but I know what recordings I go for when I want to hear Wes play.
![Wes Montgomery - Here's that rainy day [[HQ]]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/H74EF2vZ0sQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Wes Montgomery - Here's that rainy day [[HQ]]](/img/tr.png)
Wes is the Mount Everest of the Jazz, guitar. Period!
🤝🏾
The line-up:
Wes Montgomery guitar
Buddy Montgomery piano
Monk Montgomery electric bass
Billy Hart drums
Alvern Bunn congas
Clips are from a television appearance on the People in Jazz program hosted by Jim Rockwell at WABX Studio, Detroit in early 1968. Rockwell is seen briefly a couple of times after interviewing Wes.
I wonder if God has Saturday evenings set aside for Wes and the Fellas to play in Heaven for everyone. 😊
Thanks for sharing this wonderful video featuring the legendary genius Wes Montgomery and his fabulous brothers. Such a multi-talented family of great musicians.
Buddy's cuttin' a fat hog on that piano solo... their "Grooveyard" LP is the living end...
i really like Wes’ commercial pop tunes, he had a unique musical voice on the guitar, whether it was pop or deep jazz, love it all!
Wes Montgomery, before his untimely death, helped create a new genre of music - adult contemporary or easy-listening. Wes himself said that he wasn't playing jazz on these recordings, but popular music. These recordings, despite being more-popular in their appeal, still stand as fine examples of Wes' artistry and craft. Even though the room to stretch out on these cuts may have been limited, Wes always managed to sneak in something memorable and musically-hip. He also won new fans for jazz with this music, people who would later enter the jazz world thanks to this taste of it. I am just happy that Wes' enormous talents were finally being recognized and that he at last found some commercial success and could provide for his family, which was very important to him as a man, husband and father.
Exactly like you Jerry !
@ Jerry Tubb: Re: "i really like Wes’ commercial pop tunes, he had a unique musical voice on the guitar, whether it was pop or deep jazz, love it all!"
The all-time jazz greats - and Wes certainly qualifies on that score with plenty of room to spare - have the ability to make even the most-trite and simple of tunes sound absolutely wonderful. Although he and his production team didn't know it at the time, they were creating a new genre of music, one which combined jazz and pop elements in a way that allowed some jazzy sounds to go mainstream.
A lot of music critics slammed Wes for going pop, but I see it differently. First off, Wes was a father and husband who took his economic responsibilities to his family very seriously, and the chance to finally make some decent bread and provide for them in the way he'd always wanted to do was a big deal to him, an opportunity he didn't want to miss. That speaks well of his quality as a man and a human being. Doing that type of material also introduced millions of listeners to jazz sounds, albeit within a pop framework, and those are many fans who would go on to become fans of the genuine article. What's wrong with that? Nothing, that I can see. And Wes and his band-mates always played pop material with the finest musicianship, taste and creativity. Their musical standards remained high.
Me as well...
I think whatever Wes Montgomery played he enjoyed it! It didn't matter whether it was pure jazz or commercial music because he always put his own twist on it. He was a master at interpretation!
Years ago I read an interview with Wes in which he expressed some dissatisfaction with his later records. He said that over his many years of playing and practicing he had developed certain techniques, and his more commercial records didn't give him the opportunity to utilize them. That being said, Wes had seven kids, was a family man, and the later records gave him a chance to support his family.
I also once read a George Benson interview in which he said he was ready to give up full time playing and open up an electronics store. He felt he wasn't supporting his family well enough by playing full time, that winning Down Beat polls and making jazz records and touring didn't put enough food on the table. Shorty after that interview Breezin' came out, and G.B. started making some serious money.
There were two ways that Wes Montgomery going commercial (besides an increased income to support his large family):
1. For non-jazz fans to get into this music by taking popular songs into the Jazz world.
2. For Jazz fans to expand their musical horizons beyond the traditional standards.
@ Ronald Boykin: Wes never lost his love of playing straight-ahead jazz, as he recorded and played some of his finest jazz performances during the mid- and latter parts of his career after he'd left Riverside when the label folded around 1963. But he moved in a more-commercial mainstream direction, in part due to the influence of his producer at the time, Creed Taylor. First at Verve, then A&M Records. Wes freely admitted in interviews around this time that he wasn't working in the jazz style any longer, but in popular music. In reality, his taste, wonderful sound, creativity and charisma as a performer were helping to create a new genre of music, then called "easy listening," but later to be known as jazz crossover or light jazz. Regardless of what he played, a straight ahead burner bebop tune or in an orchestrated arrangement of a pop hit, his sound and taste always shown through.
Whatever regret he felt at not playing jazz must have been tempered by the fact that in the last few years of his life, Wes Montgomery finally had a taste of the commercial success he had sought, and could finally provide financially for his family in the way he wanted.
He was a giant, the likes of which we are unlikely to see ever again.
I read behind one of his records a while back, that his wife wanted him to play music that most people knew. Hence, the pop crossover as per her request.
thats what I hear too , no ego , all artist
A genius at work!
Wow, I miss Wes, he always made me smile!
macuser2 You actually met him ?
Wes is still THE MAN!
Cool to see both Monk and Wes playing with the same thumb technique in the same frame.
@ thriftdig: Re: "Cool to see both Monk and Wes playing with the same thumb technique in the same frame."
That's a great observation! Thanks for mentioning it. Wes gets so much attention that the quiet genius of his talented brothers sometimes doesn't get the credit it deserves. They - Monk on bass and Buddy on piano and vibes - were also extremely gifted musicians in their own ways. Monk was equally-capable of playing acoustic (stand-up) bass or electric, and he was one of the first legit jazz musicians to record and do gigs on an electric bass. He strung his with flat wounds, and played with the meat of his thumb to give it that fat, warm tone similar to an acoustic instrument. He used an electric partly by necessity since traveling by auto with a huge full-size acoustic bass is hard work. He was a real pioneer. I treasure the recordings the Montgomery Brothers did together.
Wes is the greatest! I love it. jumps right into the song,
Thanks for sharing this video, it's the first time I've seen Wes playing with his brothers!!! I did see Wes on the Mike Douglas Show but don't recall seeing Buddy and Monk on that program. Steve Braun
A genius at work.
The best ever.
wow, never seen this! thank you!
En 50 años todavia nadie le llega a la suela de los zapatos, con congas sin congas, con cuerdas o sin ellas Wes Montgomery genio entre los genios.
You can really hear the closeness and special feeling the Montgomery Brothers had playing together.... this is really wonderful... I wished it never would have ended! Anyone know the drummer and conga player? They are wonderful also....
If you really want to hear the Bros. on fire get their "Grooveyard" LP / CD
@@sitarnut - Great album! They had something special when they were together, that's for sure... Buddy's vibes playing was very underrated, and he was underappreciated on piano, too. Monk was a wonderful bassist, too. So "Grooveyard" was an apt name...
To whoever commented on this earlier, I am guessing he had a faulty heart valve, by descriptions of how his attack progressed. Nice to see him playing with his brothers here. My regards to all Wes Montgomery fans, he was stunning in jaw dropping kind of way.
Wes was smoker, maybe a heavy smoker which gave him his heart disease!
Aside from the fact that Wes was 'always' playing 'Music'..... His true genius is apparent at 5:08; 5:22; 5:52; 6:54; 7:08; and 7:37 in this vid which I adore
about a minute ago ·
Hey never noticed before you've just enhanced my appreciation for his music even more :)))
incredible
Wes...nothing else said. I'm glad I rediscovered you...
Heroic
0:00 California Nights-Lesley Gore 4:42 Windy-Association.
Dave. Thanks for post
I didn't know this recording existed. I always wondered "what if he stretched out on some of the A and M recordings?"
Love this, thank you!
Que equilíbrio é esse da sonoridades dos instrumentos? é raro ver uma apresentação assim, onde todos os instrumentos se destacam e conversam entre si, show!!!!!!!!!!
Wes was connected totally to hearing the 12 tones applications and applications to express what he heard inside his imagination. There were many like him and who did not have transcribed solos and slow downer! Let that sink in! Plus it wasn't cool to be a clone than to far hipper audiences then those of today!
Wes began to play all C.C.'s repertoire he learnt note for note in rather a short
period . He could easily memorize and print the pitch and play immediately on
the neck of the guitar as he was able to locate any note with perfect "hearing'"
anticipation . Django had semile ability .....and I guess the same for George
Benson .
Monk Montgomery is credited for being one of the first "electric" bass players in music history if not the very first. Folklore goes that during the NAMM shows in the early 1950's, Leo Fender had a problem convincing traditional acoustic upright bass players to try out or to transition. LF needed someone credible like Monk to help convince other bass players and to promote what we now call the original Precision bass which later was renamed the Telecaster bass which is a lot less contoured as the later P bass and Jazz bass. Everyone be careful out there..
1mespud I thought it was Elvis' bassist (who's name escapes me) who pioneered the use of electric bass
I may be wrong but I think it's a guy named Shifti Henri who was also one of the first, and played the first P bass.
btw, to the cat who feels the recording executives killed Wes, don't know about that, but I do know that Wes smoked a pack and a half a day, along with all of the worse food of the day along with not enough sleep, long hours on the road...That life would kill you in 1968. and in 2014! Don't think playing to many octaves will cause a massive heart attack, but maybe I'm wrong?
macuser2, i`m totally agree with you
WES mister oktava:)genius!!!
***** you have some points, but come off very very condescending, sort of even elitist
***** that makes perfect sense. musicians now have wised up to stuff like that, and their's more platforms for labels by musicians for musicians. a lot of the guys back then just played. musicians on a large scale not as authenic as they were back then, know more about the politics of the biz. peace though man i love jazz and will continue to master it.
Wes worked 2or 3 jobs plus his late night music gigs before he was famous,chain smoked, and ‘vitamins’ to keep him awake so he could get through. Plus ,after his newfound success,the stress of travel and recording commitments didn’t help..and the stress of being a musician and a black jazz musician also may have but some extra burdens on his psychological self as well..
thanks Dave!
Yes!!
Ok Windy may be stretching it a bit but that 1st tune was pretty cool. Monk and Buddy were great musicians, and the early Montgomery Bros. stuff is some of my favorite Wes music.
The solo is solo worth it!
Wow
👏🏾👏🏾
Year and location?
nice
When was this recorded? Wes died in June of 1968, so this must've been shortly before his death.
This show was recorded less than two months before his sudden and unexpected passing in June of 1968. Although I was just a boy then, I'll never forget the day it was announced he had died. It's all I heard my parents and their friends talking about that day. Like all Wes fans, they were devastated. It left a giant hole in the center of the music world at that time, a testament to how broadly and deeply his music was felt by music lovers the world over, even among those who were not particularly drawn to jazz, per se. Whether they were drawn to jazz or not, everybody was drawn to Wes. His powers were magical.
Jim Alfredson he seemed in good health 1960 I don t mean to sound like. Authority.
What caused his death ?
@@ltravail Brother, in 1968 my brother and I went to the Barber Shop, whilst sitting in the chairs a high school Pal yells out, "Hey that guitarist you guys love is Dead." That ruined that day and every day since. We still thrive on his vinyl we bought when new. "Incredible Jazz Guitar" flipped a lot of wigs. We saw in 1967 at McFarland Auditorium in Dallas. Never forget it.
Was it just before he died !!! does anyone gets other rare clips of wes ?
Oh yeah it's soooo. .cool
What s the name of first song? It s cool
It said “California Nights”.
listen to what the congas do for this song .. mmmmmmmmm
Yeah...great swaying conga rhythms similar to Ray Barretto make everything feel good!
+Robert Wright I started playing the congas for latino music, and I feel they greatly enhance most kinds of music. Errol Garner often used congas. I tried the same with bongos, but the bass of the congas was missing. The tuning of the congas is critical I feel.
Ray Armando is a great conga player.
Tasty, isn't it? What a lovely sound...
So delicious
WES SMOKED TOO MUCH.. PITY A REAL GEM PASSED AWAY SO YOUNG AND HE HAD 7 KIDS TOO... FULL HOUSE
Pity he was made to play crap sometimes. You can tell by the look on his face.
Opinions are like duo-fuggin-denums....everyone's got one. I guess you're the lone, oh so edgy person on this comment section . Enjoy that rare status!!
@ John Gafa: While it is true that playing such trite fare was - in a sense -a waste of Wes' enormous talents, he was not unhappy to get such gigs - the reason being how hard he had struggled for so many years to provide for his wife Serene and seven kids. Kudos from jazz magazines and critics don't pay the bills, nor do they sell records in the numbers needed to make any real dough.
I have a somewhat different perspective, on those years in Wes' career. Like Herbie Hancock, Wes could make anything sound good, even the most-hackneyed old warhorse of a song, or the lightest light-weight pop number. In other words, he may be playing "Windy" or "Going Out of My Head," but he'd turn them into something memorable in a way that very few artists could.
@@loontil Well, enjoy 'Windy' and ' Going out of my head...' then. His career, God bless him, was his own business, but I know what recordings I go for when I want to hear Wes play.
How do you know what he was thinking.
This is the ultimate in vacuous comments.
O my God so tight a God and what a man was he ?is this one note Samba ?
Alexandre Mihanovic you speak too much. Listen to is better !
Gift from god
no ego , all artist
👏🏿👏🏿