Studying Wes Montgomery - where to start?

[WillMbCdn5]

I have been playing a couple of years /lately studying Richie Zellon's framework material and generally inspired by Kenny Burrell- Midnight Blue / Miles -Kind of Blue / Wayne Shorter pretty much all of it . Somehow despite the fact I am a thumb player I have only just begun to appreciate Wes. I have been listening to West Coast Blues and D natural Blues and have begun transcribing both. Where would you go next to get into Wes style blues orientated playing???

Will

[fasstrack]

Listen to anything with his brothers, he seemed happiest with them.

There are so many examples of Wes's blues playing I wouldn't even know where to begin. But, off the top of my head, there's Finger Picking---released in many configurations. And Echoes of Indiana Avenue, released a few short years ago, has a great Straight No Chaser with great exchanges with Buddy, also a really funky and atypical slow blues (last cut).

Hope that helped a little bit, and good luck!

[Albatross]

No Blues, from the album Smokin´at the Half Note.
James and Wes, from Jimmy and Wes: The Dynamic Duo.
Fried Pies, from Boss Guitar.

All are Blues in F Major in a similar tempo. Listen and enjoy.

[fasstrack]

Missile Blues, in G. On Guitar On the Go, I think...

[WillMbCdn5]

wow - thanks for the suggestions - I am lost in the wealth of great music -Echoes of Indiana Avenue is amazing although a bit more sophisticated than I think I can engage right now, there is a lot going on that I can't even begin to imagine where it might fall given my current understanding/unmastery of the fretboard - I love the music but will have to grow into that one . I love Wynton Kelly so the Half Note album was a pleasure and ear opener - never heard that one before !! No Blues off that album and Fried Pies and Missile Blues off " Guitar on the Go " just make me smile/laugh/giggle and are on my transcribe/study list, they have all the elements I am hoping to absorb and are tunes I think I can maybe manage. I think what is drawing me to Wes is the incredible percussive/ rhythmic invention in relation to the melody I am hearing .

The journey goes on

Will

[fasstrack]

If Echoes is too much right now, go to Finger Picking. A very basic tune, and it's a textbook example of Wes's blues approach, e.g. single string to octaves to chords (not necessarily in that order). Happy listening!

[Larry Feldman]

I got a lot off "The Thumb" off of the Tequila album. Not as tricky to get as his earlier stuff. Great octaves and chord soloing on this blues.

[PMB]

A great simple Wes blues is Sun Down:

[marcwhy]

Steve Khan has a great book: https://www.amazon.com/Montgomery-Gu...rds=steve+khan

[fasstrack]

Movin' Along begins with a blues with a nice, slow lope. Wes plays 6-string bass on most of the recording.

Here's the whole album:

[plasticpigeon]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "Blue n Booglie" from full house. He is on fire on that one.

[WillMbCdn5]

Yike!!!!!!!!!- well it was nice chatting with you all I won't be posting here much anymore as I suspect the rest of my life will be occupied by trying to absorb the material in your suggestions . I have been listening to your suggested songs and narrowing things down a little based on what I think I can manage at this point. I am hearing themes/approaches and common threads that make me feel I am the right personal track.

fasstrack - thank you for the thoughtful choices- I love the direction

marcwhy- Wish I could read notation- the Khan book looks very interesting

plasticpigeon - I love pretty much anything with Wynton Kelly onboard he has played some of my favourite jazz blues lines for guitar on his piano

Pretty obvious to most of you I'm sure but what a revelation for me exploring the idea of single note through/to chord based soloing combinations

Thanks for the guidance

Will

[fasstrack]

fasstrack - thank you for the thoughtful choices- I love the direction

You can send a check to.......

[dingusmingus]

I've been revisiting D Natural Blues periodically for at least 3 years. I think, without hyperbole, really digging into any one of his tunes provides years' worth of material.

[Papawooly]

I've been revisiting D Natural Blues periodically for at least 3 years. I think, without hyperbole, really digging into any one of his tunes provides years' worth of material.

Been there... Doing that...I can sometimes keep up through the verses and chorus' etc...
but those solos are from another planet...
I will say it her again, Wes was NOT human, but an alien species sent here to teach us how guitar a should be played!

[princeplanet]

.....I am hoping to absorb, and are tunes I think I can maybe manage.......

Will

Absorb eh? Be careful, spending years being a Wes clone will not allow you to improvise like him, otherwise the thousands of Wes clones would be able to. You gotta take a good look under the hood to see how Wes may have been thinking, which appears as unfathomable as Bird or Rollins....

[Serge Sorber]

Hey Will,
Sorry for this very late reply but I've just signed up to this website.
In 1972, I formed my first (rock)band and after a rehearsal at our drummer's house, his father took me apart. He said he saw some talent in me and asked me to come upstairs and listen to "the greatest". He put on an album by Wes Montgomery. I couldn't understand what I heard since it was very complex music to my ears. Fast forward to the early 2000's... I had by then lost my appetite for rock and screaming distorted solos and was already slowly turning to jazz (bossa nova in particular). Remembering the Montgomery album I had listened to in 1972 I decided to give Wes a try. Now, that album was considered rubbish by many jazz fans since it was one of Wes' commercial LP's. But I was very lucky to be able to start learning his technique from that album since I new most of the tunes and was able to learn the melodies by ear. I was listening to the accessible Montgomery and that made a big difference. The solos on that album (Out of My head) were not hyperspeed and stayed on the melodic side. Therefore I consider the commercial Wes an ideal starting point for everyone who wants to gain knowledge and have a start without too much frustration.
I hope this reply sheds some light and may inspire Wes fans to take another approach. I live in Belgium.
Regards,
Serge

[Alter]

Here's his Angel Eyes chord solo. He doesn't have that many solo pieces, and that one is a good insight on his chord vocabulary.

[lukmanohnz]

My guitar teacher had me learn the heads to West Coast Blues and Bock to Bock recently. Bock to Bock in particular was a great eye opener for me to start integrating economy picking into my technique, since I’m a recovering bluegrasser and up to now a dyed-in-the-wool alternate picker. My teacher recommended a Corey Christiansen book on Wes that is jam-packed with great insights and practice material. It’s one in a series of ‘In the Style of ...’ books. Not note for note solos, but phrases and snippets of major, minor, dominant seventh, and ii-V material to integrate into your playing. The idea is to take any one of the phrases, play around with it, and transpose it to all 12 keys and be able to play that idea in context over backing tracks that come with the book (free download). I’m just getting started on it, and I am really excited to dig in. I can see how it’s going to help me continue to organize and strengthen my fretboard knowledge and jazz vocabulary.

[Serge Sorber]

Hey Patlotch,

Thanks for answering!
It seems we share the same angle on some points of view.

[Serge Sorber]

Hello Alter,

A 1000 thank you's for sharing your Angel Eyes sheet music with me! Always happy to meet nice people (even if only through chat)!

[Bflat233]

Nice - what book of transcriptions did this come from? Guessing it is an early edition of Steve Kahn's transcriptions? I'd love to explore his cover of this great tune, and more. I transcribed Herb Ellis' cover, which was very bluesy.

Here's his Angel Eyes chord solo. He doesn't have that many solo pieces, and that one is a good insight on his chord vocabulary.

[Alter]

I was given these notes by Ritcie Hart while studying with him at Berklee, never learned where they were from. But they are accurate, i've been through that solo many times!