The fact that he was probably told every day from 1959-1968 how much of an innovator he was in music and jazz guitar, it seemed to not affect him as a person, which is a testament to his personal integrity.
Wes mentored up-and-coming jazz guitarists (and all-time greats themselves eventually) George Benson and Pat Martino, who often asked him how he did what he did on the instrument, and Wes would reply that he didn't really know what he was doing. Well, yes, he obviously knew what he was doing, he just couldn't describe it in proper terms. That trait is actually quite common among the all-time greats in anything. They can't tell you how they do it, they just do it... whether it is Errol Garner playing piano or Michael Jordon playing basketball. But far as he was concerned, he was just such a sweet person, a normal guy who happened to possess this amazing gift. Everyone who knew him spoke of how genuine and kind he was. Down to earth, humble and unassuming.
@@railcar123 - Oh yes, there were certainly others. Wes had, as the jazz cats say, "big ears" ... which is intended as a complement for a musician who hears everything at the deepest level and possesses a gift for understanding music which is almost supernatural. Wes was not the only musician to possess this gift. Another well-known example was the brilliant pianist Errol Garner. Garner was prodigiously talented and even though he never learned to read music, it didn't seem to hold him back at all. He routinely astounded his friends by attending classical piano performances and then playing them back perfectly later on - entirely from memory. At his height, Garner knew more than a thousand tunes from memory and could play them at will in any key. We know from the recollections of Wes' brothers and his fellow musicians and pals from his Indianapolis years, that he was always curious to learn something new about music, whether from a pianist or organist, a horn player, or a fellow guitar player. He was fortunate-enough to come of age in a time when music was being performed live seven nights a week in many large cities, including Indianapolis. So if he wasn't playing music, or working at his day job, he was probably listening to someone else. I also think that his time in Lionel Hampton's big-band, relatively limited though it was, provided a spark for him. He got to play with elite-level players, and also got the chance to heard high-quality big-band music every time he performed with the group. Don't know about you, but when I hear Wes take a solo chorus in block chords, I can almost hear the "shout chorus" of the horn section of a big-band. But yeah, Charlie Christian must have really turned Wes' head around, the way Wes spoke of him.
It's cool how Wes said; I don't want to know about the instrument. lots of guitar players worry about the guitar itself. The screws in the pick-ups, how many magnets they need, "But you still have to play it"! I never saw that way? Wes was amazing all around! R.I. P. Wes
Wes was about the feeling and playing, not being pretentious. Unfortunately universities have taught that the technique and instrument make the musician,they were never more wrong than now.
I would argue that in this day and age, a good musician needs both knowledge about the instrument as well as the music. There's nothing pretentious about knowing your gear, as long as you don't neglect your ability as a performer.
Such a pure interest in playing. Couldn’t give a shit about anything else. It’s fascinating to get to this level and not get super into the technical elements of the instrument itself.
Whoever told Wes Montgomery he was not a "guitar" player was a fool. They were jealous,and ignorant, he is a virtuoso and master of Jazz guitar,and improvisation .Still untouchable.
he was beyond the instrument, it was a tool to project his thoughts and communicate with those who would listen. if the guitar didn't exist he'd have found another instrument/tool I'm sure
"t" is right. They weren't insulting him. They were paying him the highest compliment. He's not a "guitar player". He's a MUSICIAN. Not too many people ever reach that level, and it's a world of difference.
Wood Gecko a brother in law of mine ordered a custom made octave mandolin......$7000.00! He still can’t play a lick. His theory was, as he told me was, “I won’t be able to ignore it since I invested so much!” “I’ll have to learn to play it.” Five years later....zilch! But, he owns a nice instrument.
Wes and his brothers may not have been formally-schooled, but that is of no consequence, for the best "schoolhouse" in the world for learning how to play jazz at the highest level is what they did - namely, playing live and in front of audiences in clubs and elsewhere as often as possible. Don't forget, too, that Wes learned a great deal by watching, listening and asking others about the music. You can have multiple conservatory degrees, theory and composition and all of the rest, but if you don't have these ingredients that Wes and his brothers had, then they'll be of no consequence. You still have to have the real-life experience, and the ears for it.
Wes had a beautiful soul. He was one of the greatest guitarist the world has ever known, but was very humble and freely gave advice and guidance. I will forever praise and honor this great man. The group in this video is the same group with his two brothers and Billy Hart (from DC) that was with Wes the last time I saw him at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington DC in early 1968, a couple of months prior to his death. In live performances, Wes played jazz even when doing popular songs like Windy. He is the only guitarist I've ever heard who would do "impossible" stuff while playing the guitar.
Wow. You really understand. Jazz is a high-spirit music and ALL the innovative performers were usually giving praise to the Most High through their playing and singing like John Coltrane and Duke Ellington. I'm told that in heaven the best music we hear on planet Earth is playing but better and that there are more notes and chords we haven't heard/experienced yet. To me, that's the importance of Jazz versus something like Heavy Metal which I know won't be heard again, certainly not in heaven.
2dasimmons Yes, it is very spiritual. That's why technique alone is not a substitute for the Godliness of communicating and tapping into our collective consciousness. Wes advised me to never play a song the same way twice. It should come from the heart, not the head.
SO TRUE. When we align with The DIVINE in all that we do, HE really magnifies our gift(s) whether it's musical, athletic, academic, etc. I think JAZZ is the best example of this from what I've experienced with the jazz musicians I grew up around.
Because he was from Indianapolis he would play in my hometown of Terre Haute and my dad would listen to him. When I started playing in '62 I would listen to his albums (along with Atkins, Caiola and others) and they changed my thinking about the instrument. I agree with the host of the show; Reinhardt, Christian and Montgomery changed guitar playing... Thanks Wes!
The story this fella is telling about Ben Webster sounds like a similar story of George Gershwin who went to Ravel and asked if he'd teach him how to orchestrate, but Ravel rejected the idea saying "I'd prefer you remained Gershwin rather than another Ravel"
West Montgomery one of my favorite tunes bumping on the sunset, and bumping, you had George Benson, and Jonathan Butler the plays Montgomery style. But also other musicians play style and switch back to regular guitar. West Montgomery is a genius I find his rhythm outstanding ... !
Wes's voice reminds me so much of Quincy Jones! What a phenomenal and humble musician Wes was! Wes didn't know anything about the guitar? I understand his point of using the guitar to express the music in his head, but dude knew the hell out of the guitar! Mind blown!
To me he’s like a Bill Evans who had an incredible influence on pianists. Wes Montgomery affected guitarists the same way. You can hear it in Pat Martino’s playing and Mark Elf. He played great chord melodies as well as improvising great melodic lines.
Awesome .. just the reminding inspiration I need. Btw; THAT is a masterclass in how to interview. Interviewer is genuinely interested, respectful, easy going & conversational.
Lot's of folks hitting this interviewer for being so verbose. But at least he isn't talking about what tubes he uses in his amp and what he likes about his guitar and amp which would be the content of the interview today.
Anyone who knows the body of his work must stand in awe of his creative soul. His phrasing, his time, especially his time separate him from most other artists who use the guitar to express their feelings. It's a shame that the interviewer used so much space talking about other artists. I know he meant well but...it comes off a bit pretentious and it would have been more fun to hear more of Wes and what he thought.
Wes was /is my hero he died while I was in basic training, Bobby was killed around the same time his death over shadowed Wes, we all remember Wes, George Benson
Fascinating that some didn’t consider Wes a guitar player but stated that he used the instrument as a tool to project his thoughts. Wes was a musical anomaly.
You can hear that opinion being expressed in the interview on the CD of material recorded at Ronnie Scott's Club. www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-ronnie-scotts-mw0000253196
I don’t know why the interviewer focused on the thumb thing. Sure it is different, but it’s not why he became successful and revered. He could have played with a pick or even his nose, or he could have played a different instrument. He was amazing because of what notes he chose to play and how he phrased them. He was a true artist and I think that would gave come through no matter what instrument or genre he played. So sad that he lived clean and supported his family and was a great person and still died really young. Must have been a heart break for them.
They said he couldn't play but he did was created his own style just like theologians Monk. To become an outstanding musician you must create your own style.
He was really planning to publish a book? First time I hear about it. I always thought he was reluctant to into details on process a d metholodgy and he never taught. Though generally having some diligence it is not so difficult to figure out what he did theoretically still would be great to hear it in his own words.
This one: www.amazon.co.uk/Wes-Montgomery-Jazz-Guitar-Method/dp/B0007G0HWI/ref=sr_1_8?crid=26F113SSX7IU0&keywords=wes+montgomery+guitar+book&qid=1688492514&sprefix=wes+montgomery+guitar%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-8
This interviewer who calls Wes' technique "unschooled" may be correct in the narrow sense of the word, i.e., that Wes didn't learn it in some conservatory, but he is utterly mistaken in the real-world meaning of how Wes innovated and grew the instrument. Guitar is somewhat unique in that it is open in terms of technique, how you choose to play the instrument, what tuning you select, what gauge and type of strings, what amp you select, and so on. A pianist for example, enjoys no such latitude. Wes - through good luck or happenstance - chose to play in a way that almost no one had done before - with the flesh of his thumb. This choice enabled him to reach the greatest of heights in his expression and his art. But it is a mistake to believe that only his thumb technique was responsible for his greatness. Wes was the sort of musical genius who would have excelled upon any instrument he had chosen to play. The choice to play with his thumb instead of a pick was fortuitous since it gave him a sound and a style which were immediately identifiable and distinguished him from his peers, which is always a good thing when trying to make a name in the world of jazz, where having an identifiable style is paramount.
My mother once said that people LIVED. They knew life was short in this world, at best, expected that real life would begin after death, and ate, drank, smoked, enjoyed themselves while they could.
The Wes Montgomery Jazz Guitar Method - Robbins 1968 www.amazon.co.uk/Wes-Montgomery-Jazz-Guitar-Method/dp/B0007G0HWI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M9XS8963MU3H&keywords=Wes+montgomery+jazz+guitar+method&qid=1678315254&sprefix=wes+montgomery+jazz+guitar+method%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1
Just like Hendrix to a certain extent, like Wes they weren't just guitarist. The guitar for them was just a means to an end, they could've played some other instruments and be just as brilliant! Ever heard Hendrix play the Hammond organ...? Though I believe Wes was way more advanced harmonically between the two geniuses!
Hi Clint, If you look inside the front cover of the Wes Montgomery Guitar Method you'll see that Wes says "Now that I am in the position to offer assistance to....guitarists......". It was Edited by Jimmy Stewart and released in 1968, the year that the interview with Rockwell took place. The photographs are of Wes demonstrating his picking techniques etc. My copy was sold to me by FDH in London in 1968 at a price of 30 Shillings - £1.50 and it is stamped inside the cover. The text was by Lee garson. They probably all sat down together and that was the product he refered to. DG
dave gould Was that a big , dark covered book with the front cover of Wes's hand on his guitar? Yes, I wanted to get that one from a music shop in Peckham, South London but couldn't afford it. LOL Saw it many times in Francis, Day & Hunter. Many thanks for that memory.
"Every schooled guitarist in the world knows it's impossible to play without a pick." This statement shows the interviewer doesn't know a dam thing about guitar playing.
I can add that you forget the pick if you practice without for some months . Today I feel the pick uncomfortable ,a kind of useless and artificial and limited gear to replace the best natural tools fingers are .
Does anyone know the name of that neighbor who complained about Wes's late night practicing? I ask because without he or she we wouldn't have a Wes Montgomery. Please leave the name and address here so that we can all send him or her a box of cookies, or candies or cakes or what ever for changing the course of Jazz in the 60's. If it's you neighbor that's reading this I wanna thank you so much. Again, thank you for being an asshole neighbor
