Wes Montgomery - amazing player

[dabbler]

i cant imagine that's only the thumb

 

It's true. BUT he had a growth, it wasn't a callous, on his thumb that gave it a cleaner attack than a "normal" thumb. Still, he IS the man. But, I enjoy listening to him so much, it's hard to stop and back it up just so I can (try to) learn some of his licks!

[imbuedblue]

There's a neat bit on one of the tunes from the '65 "Holland" section on the DVD - where he stops to discuss with the Piano player how to play a certain section. (its a bit over *my* head - but cool none-the-less)

 

This bit? It's fascinating. I always love the sheer joy that you see in his face when he plays. He makes everything look so effortless.

 

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

[bigspan]

 

Yep! Thats the one!

[lowbrow]

*wishing I could youtube at work*

[JoeJazz2000]

 

Too clean. He needs a Fulltone OCD or at least a Danelectro Cool Cat Drive.... J/S What's nice is that he's not just running scales. It's all in service to the song. You can hear the inflections even in his fastest runs. It's what's missing when I hear the typical Berklee grad.

 

 

That's the beauty of Wes; if you'd have asked him to run a scale, he'd have paused and asked, "Wouldn't you rather hear a tune?" I know he didn't read, and I'm guessing he wouldn't have thought running scales was music. He taught himself guitar by memorizing Charlie Christian solos, and he developed the thumb technique in order to practice more quietly. I listen to him every day. I second the comment of the poster who recommended studying his transcribed solos. His note choices and chord voicings are instructive. The DVD also debunks myths about him, particularly regarding his musical sophistication. Since he didn't read, the rumor got out he was a bit of a rube, when in fact his musical knowledge was extensive. Listen to him give the pianist the chords to "Nica's Dream" (I think).

[acousticDave]

^ beat me to it. was about to point out he was completely self taught which is pretty refreshing when it comes to the theoretically inclined jazz pantheon. his tone is also perhaps the most organic I have ever heard. a long time ago in a faraway land I almost bought an archtop b/c of him.

 

 

[schoolie1]

His right hand technique was like this --->

[akapuli]

 

BUT he had a growth, it wasn't a callous, on his thumb that gave it a cleaner attack than a "normal" thumb.

 

 

I think it's rather the fact he didn't catch the omnipresent 'attenuated tone control' syndrome.

[thick_mike]

MANY thanks for posting this. I'm ashamed to say that until now I'd not really bothered to listen to any Wes. I just thought he was the guy that played in octaves and gave Hendrix the idea for Third Stone from the Sun.

 

I've listened to Smokin at the Half Note (via Spotify) and have been blown away.

 

All you teenagers out there need to note he didn't start playing guitar until he was 19!!!!

 

His attitude to gear is a lesson to most of the HCEG community too...

 

During his entire career Wes Montgomery played almost exclusively on a Gibson L5 (cutaway electric spanish) from 1963. He wasn't really interested in equipment. In his own words: 'I got a standard box. I don

[etawful]

Fantastic playing. I'm kind of chuckling at the finish wear under his index finger though, I mean . . . how long do you have to play for your finger to wear that big a spot?

[bigspan]

Fantastic playing. I'm kind of chuckling at the finish wear under his index finger though, I mean . . . how long do you have to play for your finger to wear that big a spot?

 

..just long enough to become really, really good - thats all

[Jimmy Chitown]

Genius.

He could play fills on his fills. With just his thumb.

[DunedinDoug]

He was from Indianapolis--not exactly a jazz mecca!

[imbuedblue]

 

I think it's rather the fact he didn't catch the omnipresent 'attenuated tone control' syndrome.

 

 

+1. I think I remember reading somewhere that he liked his tone and volume controls wide open for as much treble content as possible.

[Padrino]

one of the greats. possibly the biggest influence on my jazz playing, especially soloing structure and phrasing. I could listen to "Smokin at the Half Note" allll day long.

[Chordchunker]

It's true. BUT he had a growth, it wasn't a callous, on his thumb that gave it a cleaner attack than a "normal" thumb. Still, he IS the man. But, I enjoy listening to him so much, it's hard to stop and back it up just so I can (try to) learn some of his licks!

 

And allowed him to use upstrokes with his thumb. He used his thumb mainly so he could practice all night and not bother his wife and 10 kids. What an amazing player!

 

To me Wes`s phrasing is what is so special about him..so creative and just and endless imagination.

 

Have you tried any programs like Transcribe or Slow Gold that will loop a passage of music then slow it down to whatever speed you want without changing the pitch? Makes life alot easier than the old days of playing part of the record over and over and over.

[toddinjax]

If you're interested in the amp:

 

http://www.standelamps.com/about_us/story/story_p10.html

[akapuli]

 

And allowed him to use upstrokes with his thumb.

 

 

I hear thumb nail on his upstrokes.

In Flamenco it's a widely used technique, reminiscent from the oud playing.

[DunedinDoug]

 

As I posted earlier, Wes was from Indianapolis. I lived there as a young boy when his career first started. (Unfortunately, it took me over forty years to discover him.) What I noticed about the above clip is his way of saying "yes". It's a midwestern "yal" with a short 'a'.

 

I love the organic sound of his guitar. It's so much truer-sounding than what we hear on modern recordings.

 

I thought that Gibson produced a Wes Montgomery model L5 with some sort of badge or decal covering the spot where Wes wore out the finish with his finger below the strings. Maybe Wes himself put something there on his own guitar.

 

How many of you can bend your thumbs backward in that fashion?