{"title":"Wes Montgomery","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eWes Montgomery was a jazz guitarist whose warm tone, inventive use of octaves and effortless swing made him one of the most influential players of all time. Emerging in the late 1950s, he quickly established himself on Riverside with albums like \u003cem data-start=\"420\" data-end=\"466\"\u003eThe Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-start=\"471\" data-end=\"483\"\u003eFull House\u003c\/em\u003e. Later recordings on Verve and A\u0026amp;M showcased his crossover appeal, blending jazz with soul and pop influences. Explore our curated selection of Wes Montgomery vinyl — rare pressings, timeless reissues and essential albums from a true guitar legend.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"wes-montgomery-the-incredible-jazz-guitar-of-wes-montgomery","title":"Wes Montgomery – The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1974 Riverside Japan Reissue Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"248\" data-end=\"563\"\u003eOriginally released in 1960 on Riverside, \u003cem data-start=\"279\" data-end=\"325\"\u003eThe Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery\u003c\/em\u003e is the breakthrough album that introduced the guitarist’s revolutionary style to the wider jazz world. With his distinctive thumb-picked technique and inventive melodic sense, Montgomery redefined the role of the guitar in modern jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"565\" data-end=\"928\"\u003eJoined by an all-star rhythm section — \u003cstrong data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"622\"\u003eTommy Flanagan\u003c\/strong\u003e (piano), \u003cstrong data-start=\"632\" data-end=\"647\"\u003ePercy Heath\u003c\/strong\u003e (bass), and \u003cstrong data-start=\"660\" data-end=\"685\"\u003eAlbert “Tootie” Heath\u003c\/strong\u003e (drums) — Montgomery moves seamlessly between swinging standards and original compositions. From the bluesy \u003cem data-start=\"794\" data-end=\"811\"\u003eD-Natural Blues\u003c\/em\u003e to his now-classic \u003cem data-start=\"831\" data-end=\"844\"\u003eFour on Six\u003c\/em\u003e, every track showcases his fluid lines, warm tone, and impeccable sense of swing.\u003cstrong data-start=\"930\" data-end=\"951\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1053\" data-end=\"1256\"\u003eA landmark recording, \u003cem data-start=\"1075\" data-end=\"1121\"\u003eThe Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery\u003c\/em\u003e remains essential listening — a timeless portrait of one of jazz’s most influential guitarists at the start of his legendary career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e: VG+\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e: VG+\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNone\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Riverside","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42495069290555,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_4254.jpg?v=1759058641"},{"product_id":"jimmy-smith-and-wes-montgomery-dynamic-duo-1967-us-verve-gatefold-lp","title":"Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery - Dynamic Duo (1967 US Verve Gatefold LP)","description":"\u003cp data-end=\"1214\" data-start=\"1061\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e: VG+\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e: VG+\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery - \u003cem\u003eJimmy and Wes: The Dynamic Duo\u003c\/em\u003e | Vinyl LP - 1967 US Verve Stereo Gatefold (V6-8678) with Japanese insert\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth Smith and Montgomery were at their commercial peak in 1966. Creed Taylor had been pushing the pair toward arrangements that would let their playing reach pop radio audiences. Oliver Nelson, who had been writing scores for television and films, was a natural choice to write for a large ensemble that could showcase both soloists simultaneously without crowding either.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results are livelier than the commercial strategy suggests. \"Down by the Riverside\" opens at full swing, the big band setting the temperature before Smith and Montgomery trade. \"Night Train\" runs just over eight minutes, Jimmy Forrest's 1951 blues given a patient, building arrangement that keeps returning to Wes's guitar. \"James and Wes\" on Side B is Smith's composition, a blues in the soul-jazz mode that becomes more open as it develops. \"13 (Death March)\" is Nelson's. A minor-key, slightly ominous piece that was singled out in several contemporary reviews as the most interesting arrangement on the record. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWes Montgomery died on June 15, 1968. The three days they spent at Van Gelder's studio in September 1966 were their only studio collaboration.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUS pressing but comes with a Japanese insert, so likely a US import for the Japanese market.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Verve Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43533817905211,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_7032.jpg?v=1779367181"},{"product_id":"wes-montgomery-a-day-in-the-life-1981-japanese-a-m-vinyl-lp","title":"Wes Montgomery - A Day In The Life (1981 Japanese A\u0026M Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp data-end=\"1214\" data-start=\"1061\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e: VG+\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e: VG+\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVG+\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWes Montgomery - \u003cem\u003eA Day In The Life\u003c\/em\u003e | Vinyl LP - 1981 Japanese A\u0026amp;M Reissue (AMS-20014, Fusion 2000 Series, manufactured by Victor Musical Industries)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWes Montgomery had spent the 1960s moving steadily from the hard bop trio recordings on Riverside into the orchestrated Verve sessions with Oliver Nelson, and by 1967 Creed Taylor had a clear plan for him. Sign him to A\u0026amp;M, put him in front of a full string section, give him pop material to play, send the singles to Top 40 radio. It worked. \"Windy\" cracked the Hot 100, the album sat at number one on the jazz chart for months, and a template was set that Taylor would use across the CTI catalogue for the rest of the decade. Wes himself plays mostly melody, mostly in his signature octaves, with the kind of restraint that infuriated jazz purists and made the record a crossover hit. The rhythm section is Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Grady Tate, which tells you all you need to know about the level of musicianship in the room even when nobody's stretching out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Fusion 2000 Series was Alfa Records' early-1980s mid-priced programme for the A\u0026amp;M Japan catalogue, with this Wes title sitting alongside Quincy Jones, George Benson, and the broader Creed Taylor stable. Victor Musical Industries handled the manufacturing, which means the quiet vinyl and careful mastering Japanese pressings of the period are known for. The source material is Rudy Van Gelder's original Englewood Cliffs tapes, and Sebesky's strings and the percussion overdubs are exactly the kind of dense arrangement that benefits from a clean pressing. This is the 1981 Japanese A\u0026amp;M Fusion 2000 Series reissue, manufactured by Victor Musical Industries.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"A\u0026M","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43536566943803,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_7043.jpg?v=1779424975"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/wes-montgomery.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}