Yesterday was the second time that I've mentioned Wes Montgomery in passing, and it occurred to me that since he is among the most important of jazz guitarists and one of my favourite musicians I had better dedicate a post to him, pronto. To the guitar, he occupies the same sort of position that Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane does in terms of the saxophone: Although none of these names were there at the very beginning of either jazz or bebop, as was the case for Charlie Christian and Charlie Parker, they stand shoulder to shoulder with any musician in jazz.

Montgomery's playing is striking in many regards - his soloing in octaves, his seemingly infinite vocabulary, the logic of his solo constructions, his thrilling interaction with his bands - but perhaps above all is his unique way of playing and placing swing eighth notes. I use the word "placing" because of his amazing ability to play behind the beat, and to make not only his own but every member of the band's contributions sound larger, heavier and more beautiful. Perhaps the best place to hear these qualities is the album called, Smokin' at the Half Note from 1965 with the Wynton Kelly trio. To give you an idea of its importance, Pat Metheny once called it the album that taught him how to play, and he certainly wasn't alone in that experience. Montgomery has probably had a larger influence on later jazz guitarists than anyone. Here is "If You Could See Me Now", the track that contains what Metheny called his "favourite jazz guitar solo of all time": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvf7DWerPy4