“Wes Unveiled” CD

“Wes Unveiled” CD

Are there no more unreleased takes?

It seems like you’re discussing a specific CD release focused on Wes Montgomery, including reflections on its content and associated materials. Here’s a translation of the text:

“Thirteenth in the ‘SJ Classic Collection Club’ series, featuring 13 selected tracks from Wes Montgomery’s recordings on Riverside, Verve, and A&M labels, recently released by Victor Entertainment, transcending each label’s rights.

The slogan reads: ‘From the debut to the final recordings of the underrated guitarist Wes Montgomery, capturing definitive performances in chronological order.’ While it certainly encapsulates Wes in one CD with the appeal ‘Wes Unveiled,’ one might have hoped Pacific Records also joined in.

This project might leave beginners wanting more. I even wondered if they could include unreleased takes, but Key News confirmed Riverside has no more unreleased takes, Verve is uninterested, and A&M offers slim hope, meaning hardly any are left.

However, what supports this somewhat dissatisfying project is the inclusion of ‘Messages to Wes Montgomery,’ an article by Masaru Narita visiting Wes’s hometown of Indianapolis, published simultaneously in the September issue of SJ magazine. Especially notable is the interview with the widow (now remarried), Celene, and the story of the custom Gibson L-5, engraved with ‘WES MONTGOMERY’ in mother-of-pearl inlay, which disappeared from the Children’s Museum a few years ago but was thankfully found safe in Celene’s possession.”

Key News’s misunderstanding?

Mr. Narita’s visit to Indianapolis left me feeling ‘done in,’ as they say, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who has admired Wes Montgomery and dreamed of visiting. That’s why this article stirred up emotions I had kept in check.

As I read, completely absorbed, I suddenly exclaimed, ‘What!’ and found myself thinking, ‘That’s absurd.’ I read those words over and over with a skeptical eye, wondering if it could be a typo. It stated, ‘It was true that until his 1965 European tour, Wes had never been on an airplane.’ (Beginning of page 82)

The relationship between Wes and flying has been written about by many writers over the years, but now, in the liner notes of ‘The Complete Riverside Recordings / Victor VICJ-40060-40071,’ Oriole Key News, who could be considered Wes’s nurturing guide, recalls that Wes’s first flight was during his initial recording with Riverside, in October 1959.

It feels credible and persuasive to anyone, yet if this were to be overturned, it would question Oriole Key News and Kenny Burrell’s understanding. Publishing such unclear articles in SJ, a longstanding magazine with the highest readership, risks leaving behind mistakes like past instances, similar to significant errors such as Wes’s birthdate.

What is ‘true,’ Mr. Narita?