55-years ago today

[TAA]

While on my every other day bike ride today, listening to a Wes Montgomery album, I remembered Wes died in the month of June in 1968. So I had to look it up. It was 15 June that we lost Wes. 55-years ago…TODAY…wow! So long ago.

My son was born in September 1968, just short of 3-months after Wes’ passing. I gave my son the middle name of Montgomery. I, along with probably many others, miss Wes and his artistry. I was fortunate in being able to meet Wes and visit with him. That was April 1966 and I still remember our duscussion.

Tom

[Bebop Tom]

I was fortunate in being able to meet Wes and visit with him. That was April 1966 and I still remember our duscussion.

Please tell us more!

[TAA]

Well,

Well, here we go, you asked!
I’ve been talked into it. Didn’t take much arm twisting, did it?

I conned the drummer in our group and a sax player from our high school Stage Band to go with me. The concert was in the little theater section of the Minneapolis Technical Vocational School. April 1966. I was 18 @ the time. The group appearing with Wes consisted of the Wynton Kelly trio. Wynton played piano, Jimmy Cobb played drums and Paul Chambers played upright bass. You can hear the same group on the Wes Montgomery 1965 “Smokin @ the Half Note” live album, a jazz club in New York City, that is now gone. But it is one of my favorite Wes albums. Wes had quite a few interactions with Wynton over the years. I have the LP (along with 23 other Wes albums), the CD and I dIal it up on my cell phone through Apple Music when I’m biking or walking.

Attached are a few photos from that night. The last photo is from Wes’s second visit to Minnesota. I was out of town @ the time so I missed that one. As far as I know, those were the only two times he visited Minnesota. But I could be wrong.

It took a lot of courage to convince myself that I would survive pushing myself to go backstage and be so presumptuous as to ask to talk with Wes. (At the time I was not very outgoing.) The guy @ the door motioned over to Wes and Wes came right over to meet us. At the time I was using a thin variant of an L-5CES for the jobs we were playing. At that night’s concert, Wes was using a “normal” L-5CES with a pointed (Florentine) cutaway. It is my guess that this is the same guitar Wes is holding on the cover of the “Movin’ Wes” album (recorded late 1964, released 1965).

I noticed throughout the concert that the pickup selector switch was often in the fingerboard (bass) position and the selector switch hardly got moved to the bridge (treble) position that I could see. I asked Wes if that was his favored positioning and of course he said yes. But I’m guessing others may have seen this differently.

But then the next question came with an unexpected answer. Being a Gibson freak, I had to ask if he preferred Gibson guitars over other brands? His response…”it does not matter what you use, what does matter is what you do with what you are using”. To me that was a class answer and has stuck with me all these years.

I talked him and the trio into autographs. The trio was also a nice group of gentlemen. I left wishing I could stay and talk for awhile longer but I could tell that my two companions were not at the same interest level that I was @ that moment. So we departed.

As an after thought regarding album cover photos. Easy to be critical today, but back then cigarettes were more dominant than today. Both of my folks died due to smoking related ilness. But it makes you wonder, sure, Wes appears to have enjoyed smoking, at least by looking at some album covers…..but what if……?

Several years after this, I and a close friend attended a Johnny Smith concert @ local university. The MC said at the end of the concert that Mr. Smith would not be able to visit with anyone afterwards, so my plan to meet him evaporated.

Sorry for all the space the photos consume.

Tom

[AllanAllen]

Extremely cool. I’m surprised the set list is in the program. I wonder If Wes was touring playing the same 12 songs every night. Jaco only needed 4 strings and Wes only needed 12 songs.

[wintermoon]

Cool factor is off the charts T!
I got to see many of my favorites over the yrs but I was a mere lad when Wes passed.
It looks like Paul Chambers was supposed to be on the program but Ron McClure signed, I'm guessing he subbed that night?

[Alter]

Thanks for the cool story and photos!

[Jonah]

Thabk you! Little stroies like this makes historic figures alive for us.

As for

As an after thought regarding album cover photos. Easy to be critical today, but back then cigarettes were more dominant than today. Both of my folks died due to smoking related ilness. But it makes you wonder, sure, Wes appears to have enjoyed smoking, at least by looking at some album covers…..but what if……?

Of course somoking affects health and heart issues (as much as I understand heart was Wes' problem).

But on the other hand smoking was a huge part of the culture... today it is gone. I remember 'A Hard Day's Night Cover' where all The Beatles had cigarettes.

Luis Bunuel in his 80s used to say: I am happy I do not have sexual potency any more, lots of problems are gone with it. I do not want it back but if I could choose I would ask for new liver and lungs so that I could drink my favourite liquors and smoke strong Gitanes.

I quit smoking 10 years ago but sometimes I am tempted to to smoke again as a protest against modern very healthy culture)))

[Litterick]

Smokin'

[TAA]

It looks like Paul Chambers was supposed to be on the program but Ron McClure signed, I'm guessing he subbed that night?

Correct. I noticed that afterwards. I guess I was too focused on Wes and didn’t notice the switch @ the time.

Tom

[wintermoon]

It looks like Paul Chambers was supposed to be on the program but Ron McClure signed, I'm guessing he subbed that night?

Correct. I noticed that afterwards. I guess I was too focused on Wes and didn’t notice the switch @ the time.

Tom

oh, I'd notice that right away, not that McClure wasn't great but Chambers not only my favorite bassist ever but one of my favorite musicians ever.
I've heard that being in the room w/ Wes playing it was like he had this aura around him, maybe you got caught up in that...

[TAA]

WM,

You could be correct. I was only 18 @ the time and had not yet go into other instrumentalists. However, the more I hear Wynton Kelly, the more I appreciate his playing. He was with Miles Davis and has a good range of experience with a lot of players.

Tom

[wintermoon]