Simply just facts, all of the quote on quote best guitarist that have ever lived were all jazz guitarist and not rock guitarist....not my fault it's just the way the cookie crumbled..... Django, grant green, Wes Montgomery a d I'm sure Iam leaving some one out for sure all pushed the limits of the instrument and all played completely different from each other.....after the three u can start naming Clapton, hendrix, and who ever u would like....just imo....I'm not a guitarist but, I'm way beyond an enthusiast
My only wish is to be able to hear music forever. I’m go glad I’m 17 and able to enjoy beautiful music like this. this is true music right here. That roots soul music
One of the mysteries of Wes Montgomery’s incredible technique (and there are many!) is that because he played with his thumb, he must have only been able to pluck the strings downward, since it is difficult to imagine how to pluck upward with the thumb. I did read somewhere that Wes had developed a distended callous on his thumb that made it possible for him to pluck upward occasionally with his thumb. It’s very interesting to see on this video that Wes does in fact pluck upward very occasionally. He does, however, pluck downward predominantly. I’ve never been able to see that on any other video of Wes, but there it is! I believe also that Wes had the greatest natural understanding of the fretboard of any guitarist I can think of. He was to my mind not only the greatest of all jazz guitarists, but he stands with only h small handful of the greatest jazz musicians on any instrument (Lester Young, Charlie Parker etc.)
You can for sure pluck up with the thumb. Tosin Abasi has mastered it. But I’m pretty sure Wes used just downstrokes when playing lead lines. Which is really impressive
Wes started playing guitar with the age of 19 years. At that time he was working as a mechanic. In the evening he could rehearse. Playing with a pick was too harsh and loud and his children woke up. So he decided just to use his thumb wich produces a more mellow tone. Wes didn't read music, just played by listening and watching. Amazing guy, fantastic musician, improvisor, beautiful soul and guitarslinger.
I mostly listen to metal, punk, and hard rock and now old jazz. seeing this dude play makes me realise that no matter what genre you like a great musician will always amaze you. And as a guitar player jazz is one of the Is challenging genres to play. It really has made me spend ours in the guitar playing those hard ass chords. And that bass solo is sick!
Good music is always good music. I can easily jump from Pantera to Dave Brubeck, pass through Slayer or Red Hot Chili Peppers straight out to Elton John or Queen, then go to Fela Kuti or John Zorn, Quantic or Björk. Johann Sebastian Bach or Stravinsky, through Korsakov or Béla Bartok jumping from Pink Floyd to Iron Maiden, ending with some good old Hendrix or Zeppelin.
Listen to Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. I think you will hear very, very early hints of metal and prog in an orchestra setting. When it was debuted in 1915 in Paris it caused a fights to break out in theater and people were pounding the hands on the seats almost like head banging.
Barbaroja It flowed perfectly. I was listening to the bass solo and when the band popped back in it was so subtle I didn’t really notice it but I did. I don’t know how else to describe it. Just flowed perfectly.
This is when BBC was very good at their job and thank to the guys back then for recording this for the public and music fans to view just how good Wes Montgomery and his band were. Sadly the BBC isn’t even a vague shadow of its former self from those honest and sincere days. It so looks cool and great sounds.
I had a boss, who was a young man, when he was offered a gig in SF to take the place of Wes's bass player because he got sick. He got scared and turned it down. He regretted years later.
Wes Montgomery was said to lack confidence in his ability but on camera he’s killing it and looking relaxed. Superlative backing musicians must have helped.
It ought to be said that this wonderful video was filmed at Ronnie Scott's club in London in the 1960s. Wes on guitar, Stan Tracey, piano, Rick Laird on bass, and Ronnie Stevenson plays drums. It is Ronnie who introduces the number: Four on Six.
This guy here is the ABSOLUTE G.O.A.T. of jazz guitar, in my opinion!!! I look at a USED Gibson L5, like the one here, that thing was $9500.00😳! (Needless to say... I'm still DREAMING of owning one😆.)
Saw him in San Francisco. I think it was the summer of 1959 in a North Beach club. I was 18 and Caiifornia ajjowed 18 year olds to enter but couldn’t serve us alcohol. Which was fine with me. I was thoroughly intrigued by the Music!!!!!
It's very important what you mention!! That's why his way of playing is unique. The tone of his sound is so clear..besides he plays the right notes and chords without overplaying them like other jazz interpreters.
Can't say I've seen this camera angle on Wes' left hand before nor his right. I'm amazed at how he just uses his thumb on single notes. Such a talent. Love hearing him play The Big Hurt. One of my all time favorites. Wish there was footage of that.
wow..amazing & unique thumb technique of wes Is graceful as always like his smile..great talents and a rare clarity b&w video Is a treat to our eyes and ears, ' n ' number of times to watch..thanks a lot..siva..india..
The album this song appeared on was The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery on Riverside Records. It is indeed a jazz classic and sounds as new and exciting as when it came out.
Guau..........sencillamente maravilloso, el mejor vídeo de Wes Montgomery que he visto, es como tenerle ahí al lado. Hacía milenios que no escuchaba este tema. Felicidades.
Add Grant Green was copied as well. GB copied anything that he could from non guitarists too. GB had /has perfect pitch thus quite easier to verify what he heard. Wes didnt have perfect pitch and Horace Silver said he played beautiful on a tune at a Jam session but in the wrong key.
Both George Benson and Phil Upchurch ... great jazz guitarists in their own right... ... co-wrote a song called "Six To Four". I'm wondering if this is where they got the inspiration from 🤔😊😊
And many other jazz guitar greats, like Pat Martino, Emily Rembler, and Lee Ritenour (Lee even named one of his sons after Wes). Wes was to jazz guitar what Hendrix was to rock in that he was a great guitar innovator who many try to emulate.
His thumb was double jointed so he could literally alternate pick with it like a pick player, I remember doing research on him cuz I was wondering the same lol
Good grief even in an abbreviated version of this he still melts faces and bends minds in ways most musicians would only dream of for their most epic of masterpieces. Wes was the man. Who knows what he could have done if he had been allowed to live longer.
Soy flamenco, vine por Vicente Amigo ya que él lo nombra. Conocía el talento de McLaughin, Santana o Larry, pero no a este monstruo. Me ha sorprendido mucho la naturalidad de su expresión e improvisación. Este es uno de los grandes, sin duda alguna. Y no entiendo casi nada de jazz. Un saludo.
During one of the most turbulent eras of American history we saw such masterful instrumentation and musical expression. The jazz music, itself, from this era should be studied to understand the monumental leap forward-and I some respects backwards, in our existence in America.
I have to go through all my albums and find my Wes Montgomery albums ... always loved jazz and then got side tracked with the new stuff as it came along.
3:04 was his finger resting on the top of the guitar actually wearing away the top of he guitar? (his finger next to the index ... it is off the pickguard or is that some kind of pad stuck on there?)
Whomever did the camera work for this is a hero.
The sound ain’t too shabby either.
Paul Walker That’s for granted. 😉
Stanley Kubrick - moonlighting......
Yeah sound and tabs!
A lot of European video and audio recordings from that era are really incredible.
Cameraman secretly wants those tabs
Cop a lick...
And we thanks to the cameraman
I was just thinking, it can't be accidental that we see so much of his hands
Ha, ha. So it seems. Peace
This man did not use tabs
Finally! A camera man who actually shows the musicians playing instead of just showing the crowd for eighty percent of the video.
Perhaps as opposed to saying finally more a case of formerly. This is a BBC functioning as it was supposed to but now long gone.
We all should kiss the cameracam, he did such wonderful job to learn this song.
I just learned of Wes Montgomery (12/19/21) today! What an amazing guitarist.
Simply just facts, all of the quote on quote best guitarist that have ever lived were all jazz guitarist and not rock guitarist....not my fault it's just the way the cookie crumbled..... Django, grant green, Wes Montgomery a d I'm sure Iam leaving some one out for sure all pushed the limits of the instrument and all played completely different from each other.....after the three u can start naming Clapton, hendrix, and who ever u would like....just imo....I'm not a guitarist but, I'm way beyond an enthusiast
That's cool , the world is like French fries , and we're all catch up !!!
How lucky you are; you might have never heard this.@@MitchellMaichak-ze7mr
Call it your reborn day....lol
Wes's thumb is a thing of legend!
0:48 best camera angle ever
Indeed. Also: Wes' beatific smile right into the camera at 0:07 is all the things.
Whoah that is really cool
True statement
Incredible guitar talent beyond the stars!! Thanks, Mr Wes Montgomery!!
My only wish is to be able to hear music forever. I’m go glad I’m 17 and able to enjoy beautiful music like this.
this is true music right here. That roots soul music
The video quality on the fretboard shot is outstanding for era, the playing even more so....
The playing? There were jazz monsters from that era and before as well.
Sensational camera work.....
This is the best older live music clip I've ever seen. The sound is amazingly captured and the angles and clarity of the shots!
Classic Wes. Understated, crisp, on tempo, structured yet free. Masterful
One of the mysteries of Wes Montgomery’s incredible technique (and there are many!) is that because he played with his thumb, he must have only been able to pluck the strings downward, since it is difficult to imagine how to pluck upward with the thumb. I did read somewhere that Wes had developed a distended callous on his thumb that made it possible for him to pluck upward occasionally with his thumb. It’s very interesting to see on this video that Wes does in fact pluck upward very occasionally. He does, however, pluck downward predominantly. I’ve never been able to see that on any other video of Wes, but there it is!
I believe also that Wes had the greatest natural understanding of the fretboard of any guitarist I can think of. He was to my mind not only the greatest of all jazz guitarists, but he stands with only h small handful of the greatest jazz musicians on any instrument (Lester Young, Charlie Parker etc.)
Buena observación Larson!!!Me gustas!!
You can for sure pluck up with the thumb. Tosin Abasi has mastered it. But I’m pretty sure Wes used just downstrokes when playing lead lines. Which is really impressive
You are right... he would be great playing any instrument .. he is the best musician there ever has been
There's a quick upstroke at 0:37 that you can see. And another at 0:48. He doesn't use it often that's for sure.
Wes started playing guitar with the age of 19 years. At that time he was working as a mechanic. In the evening he could rehearse. Playing with a pick was too harsh and loud and his children woke up. So he decided just to use his thumb wich produces a more mellow tone. Wes didn't read music, just played by listening and watching. Amazing guy, fantastic musician, improvisor, beautiful soul and guitarslinger.
I mostly listen to metal, punk, and hard rock and now old jazz. seeing this dude play makes me realise that no matter what genre you like a great musician will always amaze you. And as a guitar player jazz is one of the Is challenging genres to play. It really has made me spend ours in the guitar playing those hard ass chords. And that bass solo is sick!
i love u
Good music is always good music.
I can easily jump from Pantera to Dave Brubeck, pass through Slayer or Red Hot Chili Peppers straight out to Elton John or Queen, then go to Fela Kuti or John Zorn, Quantic or Björk.
Johann Sebastian Bach or Stravinsky, through Korsakov or Béla Bartok jumping from Pink Floyd to Iron Maiden, ending with some good old Hendrix or Zeppelin.
Listen to Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. I think you will hear very, very early hints of metal and prog in an orchestra setting. When it was debuted in 1915 in Paris it caused a fights to break out in theater and people were pounding the hands on the seats almost like head banging.
I believe it is Rick Laird on Bass
@@buddybolden846from Mahivishnu Orchestra?
Fantastic. What a great performance. Also Tony Rice did an amazing acoustic version of this song.
I shall be checking that out. Thanks.
A song that never needed to stop.
Smoothest transition from a bass solo back to the song I've ever heard.
Barbaroja It flowed perfectly. I was listening to the bass solo and when the band popped back in it was so subtle I didn’t really notice it but I did. I don’t know how else to describe it. Just flowed perfectly.
Stomp. But this is a close 2nd.
I can't believe how great this is recorded, especially the bass.
Bass playing gut strings.
As a band, we just started learning to play this one. Wow, this is cool! I want to keep playing it!
Think I've never seen Wes Montgomery's hands so clearly! It's incredible, thanks a lot to that cameramen!!
This is when BBC was very good at their job and thank to the guys back then for recording this for the public and music fans to view just how good Wes Montgomery and his band were. Sadly the BBC isn’t even a vague shadow of its former self from those honest and sincere days. It so looks cool and great sounds.
Check out “live at the half note”with Wynton Kelly trio, and also “Full house”, live at the Taino. Excellent live jazz
Wow, seeing that close up of the Maestros hands. Effortless genius!
I had a boss, who was a young man, when he was offered a gig in SF to take the place of Wes's bass player because he got sick. He got scared and turned it down. He regretted years later.
Wes Montgomery was said to lack confidence in his ability but on camera he’s killing it and looking relaxed. Superlative backing musicians must have helped.
Cool as ever
Exceeding human abilities again and again. Superhuman! Only Wes is . . . Wes.
It ought to be said that this wonderful video was filmed at Ronnie Scott's club in London in the 1960s. Wes on guitar, Stan Tracey, piano, Rick Laird on bass, and Ronnie Stevenson plays drums. It is Ronnie who introduces the number: Four on Six.
Wes has one of my favorite faces of all human incarnations.
He looks like Sonny Liston 😁
Wes Montgomery is a very attractive guy.
love how the bassist comes out of his solo
Rick Laird, later of the Mahavishnu Orchestra!!
This guy here is the ABSOLUTE G.O.A.T. of jazz guitar, in my opinion!!! I look at a USED Gibson L5, like the one here, that thing was $9500.00😳! (Needless to say... I'm still DREAMING of owning one😆.)
Thank YOU, unbelievable performance.
Saw him in San Francisco. I think it was the summer of 1959 in a North Beach club. I was 18 and Caiifornia ajjowed 18 year olds to enter but couldn’t serve us alcohol. Which was fine with me. I was thoroughly intrigued by the Music!!!!!
Willie Pearl, I envy you.
Wow!
Immensely captivated by Wes M, the bass player, and the pianist. That bass player I dig. The pianist tempo is superb. Excellent!
LOVE his pre-Don Sebesky stuff. This is how he was meant to be heard. Wish I could have seen him live back in the day.
What a talented bunch of guys, terrific stuff.............👍
Wes plays that guitar effortlessly.
Super Kyle With just his thumb no less
It's very important what you mention!! That's why his way of playing is unique. The tone of his sound is so clear..besides he plays the right notes and chords without overplaying them like other jazz interpreters.
This was First successful cover track of Wes Montgomery , Musical Archives ❤ thanks for the Original,, A VOICE IN THE MALL ❤❤❤
Can't say I've seen this camera angle on Wes' left hand before nor his right. I'm amazed at how he just uses his thumb on single notes. Such a talent. Love hearing him play The Big Hurt. One of my all time favorites. Wish there was footage of that.
as a musician, how can you not be humbled by this incredible man.
Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis and Roger Kelly.
my main influences to guitar
All these notes that Wes Montgomery & the bands accompanying him play were going straight deeply to my soul. M A G N I F I C O !
The Best Guitarist. Great, great, great Wes Montgomery. See you from Chile, southamerica. 👍
Splendid performance!! Love "Four On Six!!" ❤
I always listen to Legendary West Montgomery when I'm traveling on the freeway visiting friends in different states his music is very relaxing
Stan Tracey (p), Rick Laird (b), Jackie Dougan (dr) on ABC TV, London, May 7, 1965
thank you.
Introduced by Ronnie Scott too...
up
top players!
So much fun to listen to!
RIH to my father.He blessed me wit tha gift to share jazz music. 🎵 🎼🎶
What an incredible recording
The most musical thumb ever. Stellar playing.
Camera angle from above Wes' guitar's neck (00:35 ~ 01: 12) is brilliant.
Never seen it anywhere else before.
best footage of wes's hands i've ever seen!
wow..amazing & unique thumb technique of wes Is graceful as always like his smile..great talents and a rare clarity b&w video Is a treat to our eyes and ears, ' n ' number of times to watch..thanks a lot..siva..india..
One of the greatest Wes tracks!!!
Wow! Bless this cameraman 🙌🏻
what a time to be alive
An outstanding video. Great performances and while I enjoyed watching Wes, the bass player was amazing.
Every one who comes to listen to this has taste .. That is a given We are RARE..breed..🎸🎵🎶
All-time beautiful display of Jazz Guitar. :)
This man still claimes a lot of my attention, for more than Sixty Years, and I am still learning from him, Honest Truth , John
This is from London, Ronnie Scott introduces the band. Thanks for posting
Wes Montgomery is truly a Jazz legend
I love the camera view of Wes's fretting hand and thumb. Now let's see one like this for Jimi.
Great video. Well filmed, with a sense of capturing Wes at work
What a great jazz guitarist - WOW!John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 - June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist."
So relaxed & natural. Such an inspiration to others
Tra i più grandi chitarristi Jazz
Bass player is Rick Laird who later joined John McLaughlin in the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
wow
The album this song appeared on was The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery on Riverside Records. It is indeed a jazz classic and sounds as new and exciting as when it came out.
Guau..........sencillamente maravilloso, el mejor vídeo de Wes Montgomery que he visto, es como tenerle ahí al lado. Hacía milenios que no escuchaba este tema.
Felicidades.
Amazing view of Wes Montgomery’s left hand working the fretboard. Guessing the camera man plays guitar!
Wow, this is some video. Amazing shots and fantastic sound.
You could see where George Benson got his licks from!
Add Grant Green was copied as well. GB copied anything that he could from non guitarists too. GB had /has perfect pitch thus quite easier to verify what he heard. Wes didnt have perfect pitch and Horace Silver said he played beautiful on a tune at a Jam session but in the wrong key.
Both George Benson and Phil Upchurch ... great jazz guitarists in their own right... ... co-wrote a song called "Six To Four". I'm wondering if this is where they got the inspiration from 🤔😊😊
And many other jazz guitar greats, like Pat Martino, Emily Rembler, and Lee Ritenour (Lee even named one of his sons after Wes). Wes was to jazz guitar what Hendrix was to rock in that he was a great guitar innovator who many try to emulate.
@@travelingman9763 F
@@juliancofie3918 Yes, they did for sure! I read once that it was a tribute to Wes.
I just can’t figure out how Wes accurately plays the single note runs with his thumb. Incredible.
His thumb was double jointed so he could literally alternate pick with it like a pick player, I remember doing research on him cuz I was wondering the same lol
Wes is just a genius with music. It's not about the technic or complexity. But when he plays the guitar sings.
Unbelievable! Playing the guitar like that with his thumb! 👍👍👍👍👍 😀😀😀😀😀
Good grief even in an abbreviated version of this he still melts faces and bends minds in ways most musicians would only dream of for their most epic of masterpieces. Wes was the man. Who knows what he could have done if he had been allowed to live longer.
Wes Montgomery the best guitar all times and I love this song 4 on 6
This man was a long way in his time and many have followed him in the later years like:GEORGE BENSON,EARL KLUGH,PAT METHENY,JOE PASS, KENNY BURRELL.
Soy flamenco, vine por Vicente Amigo ya que él lo nombra. Conocía el talento de McLaughin, Santana o Larry, pero no a este monstruo. Me ha sorprendido mucho la naturalidad de su expresión e improvisación. Este es uno de los grandes, sin duda alguna. Y no entiendo casi nada de jazz. Un saludo.
Al Di Meola se lo chinga alv
Pues la sorpresa es mía al conocer que los flamencos saben escribir tan excelente prosa.
@@eve4321211 Espero que os vaya todo bien. Os deseo mucho más que suerte
Si decís que Mc laughin tiene talento, queda claro que desconoces al jazz. Wes es quizás el padre de la guitarra moderna en el jazz
@@musicazen8558 pobre , no tenés oido
That is some serious thumb work! Who the hell needs a pick.. If I had 5 hands I couldn't do that. Amazing
what a fabulous musician
wes ... thank you for these themes
Wes playing is absolutely superb, looks easy.
So cool! Between the music and the camera work👏👏👍👍🙏🙏
that thumb cam was quite good!
During one of the most turbulent eras of American history we saw such masterful instrumentation and musical expression. The jazz music, itself, from this era should be studied to understand the monumental leap forward-and I some respects backwards, in our existence in America.
Love wes' facial expressions. It's like hes just tying his shoes
One of the greatest musicians of all time
The mutual respect, discipline and pass offs.
I have to go through all my albums and find my Wes Montgomery albums ... always loved jazz and then got side tracked with the new stuff as it came along.
Thank God the Europeans did have the good sense to record all these GREAT American jazz sets.
JAZZ HISTORY AT ITS BEST
Every player is phenomenal
3:04 was his finger resting on the top of the guitar actually wearing away the top of he guitar? (his finger next to the index ... it is off the pickguard or is that some kind of pad stuck on there?)
glad we have today these kind of footage ... Wes was a genius
Hey Ronnie - good to see you again!
It’s like watching it as it happened...
Amazing! Wonderful post!
Espectacular... Que belleza de ejecución
He was so talented.
He plays so fast with his thumb its amazing.
02:02
Il giro di contrabbasso di Rick Laird è eccezionale. Che stile.