Wes Montgomery Trio
Guitar On The Go

Wes Montgomery rightfully belongs to the select group of very few jazz guitarists who have left a mark that goes well beyond the boundaries of the six-string world.

An extreme devotee of Charlie Christian, by 1963 Montgomery was already an internationally renowned musician and had enjoyed fruitful collaborations with leading figures of the jazz scene of the 1950s/'60s (John Coltrane, Lionel Hampton, and Cannonball Adderley, among others) and numerous recordings under his own name, such as "Boss Guitar", "Full House", "The Wes Montgomery Trio", but especially "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" (1960), considered by many jazz historians to be an authentic milestone for jazz guitar, a new starting point whose content would inspire followers in the decades to come. It was precisely in 1963 that "Guitar on the Go" was released, an intense and diverse record, where the Indianapolis guitarist showcases, without holding back, all the peculiar characteristics of his phrasing, an unmistakably recognizable trademark still well-remembered by enthusiasts of the genre.

This is an album recorded in a trio; the drum parts are entirely entrusted to George Brown except for "Fried Pies", which features the significant presence of Jimmy Cobb, and "Missile Blues", actually recorded in 1959 with Paul Parker behind the drums; at the Hammond organ, we find Melvin Rhyne, a longtime collaborator of Wes's, who, thanks to the effective interplay established with the guitarist, succeeds in making the absence of the double bass unnoticeable during the 42 minutes of the work. Among the most inspired episodes of the recording, we can mention the hard-bop rendition of the famous standard by Jerome Kern "The Way You Look Tonight" with a related alternate take (which basically differs in the solo section), the performance of the poignant ballad by Henry Mancini "Dreamsville", in addition to the two energetic blues "Fried Pies" and "Missile Blues" penned by Montgomery himself.

With hard bop echoes identifiable in Coltrane’s "Blue Train" period clearly noticeable in several guitar solos, smooth seductive moments of mainstream influence, and the inevitable blues foundation to which the guitarist has never knowingly surrendered, the 8 tracks of the album flow pleasantly and smoothly with a remarkable qualitative balance among the various pieces. Although with "Guitar on the Go", according to the writer, we encounter a work that does not reach the peaks of "The Incredible Jazz Guitar" in terms of inspiration and expressiveness in instrumental performance, we still remain within the realm of excellence.

An album of excellent craftsmanship.

Best regards