Wes on Misty

**pamosmusic** · 03-17-2025, 11:09 PM

Part of my favorite solos project … and man, this one is loaded. I might get a cleaner take one of these days, but those octaves were kicking my butt.

No, I will not be taking another pass without the pick.

**AllanAllen** · 03-17-2025, 11:19 PM

Octaves are so cool in my house and an absolute biff every time I try to do them at a gig. And I try every time.

**Al Haig** · 03-18-2025, 04:43 AM

Great

**kris** · 03-18-2025, 05:28 AM

A very good idea of playing Wes Montogomere's solos.
Good work and well sounding Telecaster Sadovsky.
I love Wes Montgomery and his brilliant jazz phrasing.

**2bornot2bop** · 03-18-2025, 09:02 AM

Just got this in the mail yesterday…printed in ‘78.

Wes on Misty-img_3238-jpg

**pamosmusic** · 03-19-2025, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Octaves are so cool in my house and an absolute biff every time I try to do them at a gig. And I try every time.

My octaves sound pretty bad in the house too

**pamosmusic** · 03-19-2025, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Just got this in the mail yesterday…printed in ‘78.

Wes on Misty-img_3238-jpg

Oh wow, very cool. I haven’t seen this one before.

Oddly enough, I haven’t seen a transcription of Misty anywhere.

**GuyBoden** · 03-19-2025, 08:43 AM

That's very, very impressive playing, superb.

Misty isn't on my copy of 'Smokin at the half note'. So, Misty must be on a later release.

**lawson-stone** · 03-19-2025, 09:42 AM

Just superb. Transcribing great solos is fun. I love hearing actually wonderful jazz coming out of my amp.

After learning a bunch of Jimmy Raney solos, I think my amp wondered if it had been sold to a real jazz guitar player...

**mr. beaumont** · 03-19-2025, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

That's very, very impressive playing, superb.

Misty isn't on my copy of 'Smokin at the half note'. So, Misty must be on a later release.

I think it first got released on that "Willow Weep for Me" album where they overdubbed strings on some tracks too. When they released the expanded "Smokin" about 20 years ago or so, Misty was now on the album. It's nice to have it on there...Wes sounding almost acoustic!

**pamosmusic** · 03-19-2025, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I think it first got released on that "Willow Weep for Me" album where they overdubbed strings on some tracks too. When they released the expanded "Smokin" about 20 years ago or so, Misty was now on the album. It's nice to have it on there...Wes sounding almost acoustic!

Oh interesting. I think after What's New, there's a break where it's pretty clear the set ends and the next track is from another night or something. I got the CD in maybe 2006 and all the extra tracks were on there. Never occurred to me they weren't on the original release.

Though I'm only now realizing that I've been listening to it on Spotify for probably ten years and it's listed as "expanded edition."

**mr. beaumont** · 03-19-2025, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

Oh interesting. I think after What's New, there's a break where it's pretty clear the set ends and the next track is from another night or something. I got the CD in maybe 2006 and all the extra tracks were on there. Never occurred to me they weren't on the original release.

Though I'm only now realizing that I've been listening to it on Spotify for probably ten years and it's listed as "expanded edition."

Now that my kids are older I've brought out all of my old vinyl again and I have a turntable I can use in the living room without worry of someone bounding into the room screaming "I'M A KANGAROO!" and jumping up and down

So I have a new appreciation for the brevity of the medium, 20 odd minutes a side, 45 minutes or so max for an album. It's easier to digest music for me like this...BUT...

When it comes to stuff like Smokin' give me the expanded, the alternate takes from other nights, the lost third set, I don't care, I'm in for ALL of it.

**pamosmusic** · 03-19-2025, 10:15 AM

I mentioned that this solo is in "my canon" ... I've been singing along with this bad boy for forever. And dug this up recently.

Note the date at the top. You can also tell I was very young and stupid because I used Finale's "jazz" font. Unforgivable.

**** Please do not try to play the solo off of this transcription -- it is very very wrong

I'll post my transcription from this time in a little while. Pretty sure that one is more or less correct.

Wes on Misty-smokin-1-jpg

**AllanAllen** · 03-19-2025, 10:33 AM

I like the jazz font. I also don't get why everyone hates comic sans, such a weird thing to have strong feelings about.

**pamosmusic** · 03-19-2025, 10:39 AM

People who have spent a lot of time playing jazz in the general proximity of "legit" musicians have a sort of Black Sheep Inferiority Complex about the whole thing.

"Jazz pieces should be written in cool, hip, informal fonts."

No, jazz should be written to be neat and legible like literally anything else.

"In jazz you can just play whatever you want."

Sure man, go for it.

"Close enough for jazz."

I'm sorry, but that doesn't apply to the rhythm in your saxophone soli, could you just learn it like you do your wind ensemble music please?

**GuyBoden** · 03-19-2025, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I think it first got released on that "Willow Weep for Me" album where they overdubbed strings on some tracks too. When they released the expanded "Smokin" about 20 years ago or so, Misty was now on the album. It's nice to have it on there...Wes sounding almost acoustic!

Thanks, yes, it's on my copy of 'Willow Weep For Me' with a string and brass arrangement. I've put it on to play now, I still don't like the string and brass arrangement.

**mr. beaumont** · 03-19-2025, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

Thanks, yes, it's on my copy of 'Willow Weep For Me' with a string and brass arrangement. I've put it on to play now, I still don't like the string and brass arrangement.

Added on string and brass arrangements were Verve's way to try and appeal to the light jazz listening middle American consumer. They're almost always awful.

**wintermoon** · 03-19-2025, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

Thanks, yes, it's on my copy of 'Willow Weep For Me' with a string and brass arrangement. I've put it on to play now, I still don't like the string and brass arrangement.

That was added at the time (thanks Creed Taylor) but is available now sans strings/brass.

**AllanAllen** · 03-19-2025, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

People who have spent a lot of time playing jazz in the general proximity of "legit" musicians have a sort of Black Sheep Inferiority Complex about the whole thing.

"Jazz pieces should be written in cool, hip, informal fonts."

No, jazz should be written to be neat and legible like literally anything else.

"In jazz you can just play whatever you want."

Sure man, go for it.

"Close enough for jazz."

I'm sorry, but that doesn't apply to the rhythm in your saxophone soli, could you just learn it like you do your wind ensemble music please?

Dude, jazz font is better than a handwritten Nestico/Wolpe chart.

**Stringswinger** · 03-19-2025, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

Oh wow, very cool. I haven’t seen this one before.

Oddly enough, I haven’t seen a transcription of Misty anywhere.

Wolf Marshall did a fairly accurate transcription in his Wes Montgomery Signature Licks book

**pamosmusic** · 03-19-2025, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Wolf Marshall did a fairly accurate transcription in his Wes Montgomery Signature Licks book

Ahhh cool. Was able to see a little snatch and catch the part I wasn't sure on. Those double stops right before the octaves come in -- I have the double stops flipped. I'm playing F with D above, then down chromatically and it's never sounded right. Wolf seems to have D with the F above and descending chromatically.

**Mick-7** · 03-19-2025, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Now that my kids are older I've brought out all of my old vinyl again and I have a turntable I can use in the living room without worry of someone bounding into the room screaming "I'M A KANGAROO!" and jumping up and down

I might not mind that because "I'm a Kangaroo" is one of my favorite standards (big hit in Australia), I don't think Wes ever covered it though.

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Just got this in the mail yesterday… printed in ‘78.

I have that book, bought it decades ago, another book I've hardly looked at (it's out of print now).

**pamosmusic** · 03-20-2025, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Dude, jazz font is better than a handwritten Nestico/Wolpe chart.

this is true

**pamosmusic** · 03-20-2025, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Just superb. Transcribing great solos is fun. I love hearing actually wonderful jazz coming out of my amp.

After learning a bunch of Jimmy Raney solos, I think my amp wondered if it had been sold to a real jazz guitar player...

what Jimmy Raney did you learn?

love him but he’s one I don’t recall ever transcribing

**lawson-stone** · 03-20-2025, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

what Jimmy Raney did you learn?

love him but he’s one I don’t recall ever transcribing

Actually I didn't transcribe; I learned all the solos on the Aebersold set. I have done some transcribing. I did Kenny Burrell's solo on "I'm Old Fashioned" which was actually the first thing I ever tried to transcribe. I also did a couple choruses of a Chet Baker solo on "But Not For Me" and "Summertime"

I have found when i devote serious time and attention to "walking in the steps of the masters" that my own playing really takes an upward bump.