Kiyohito Montgomery

Kiyohito Montgomery

When I say “Kiyohito Montgomery,” I’m actually referring to the Wes-influenced guitarist Kiyohito Koizumi. This is a name I’ve coined for him. Although his musical activities are modest, he is steadily building a fan base. Jazz guitar fans in Tokyo are likely familiar with his performances in the organ, guitar, and drums group known as OGD. Recently, he has also been well-received for his solo activities in regional areas.

Of course, it’s rare to find someone who can perform the magic techniques of Wes Montgomery, making the live sound even more intriguing. His name became widely known around 1992 when he was involved in translating Adrian Ingram’s biography of Wes Montgomery. His brilliant translation of Ingram’s research delighted many Wes fans in Japan, matching Ingram’s scholarly work in significance. This major role was possible not only due to his guitar playing but also his deep admiration and research of Wes Montgomery, which I recall reading repeatedly until the book was worn out.

In the June issue of SJ Magazine, there’s an interesting article by Koizumi on Wes’s beloved Gibson L-5 guitar in the feature “Wes Montgomery’s Beloved Instruments and Famous Performances.” His writing, based on thorough research, is compelling. I encourage you to read it, as it offers genuine insight into Wes’s knowledge. Compared to the numerous overly complimentary liner notes and shallow articles full of “absolute criticism” that we’ve seen in the past, Koizumi’s work stands out as authentic. Additionally, I hope a record company in Japan releases his guitar album soon, as I’m sure it would be a hit.

Sony Music House is currently promoting “Wes Montgomery: The Essence of Jazz Guitar,” a Riverside best-of album, as this month’s recommended record. Here, you can also find Koizumi’s article titled “The Exhilarating Feeling of Wes Montgomery.” Since translating the Wes Montgomery biography, Koizumi has been active in many areas, including creating instructional videos on Wes’s techniques and writing instructional books.

This booklet also features an article by Noriyoshi Koyama, summarizing and explaining some interesting news. “DB Magazine’s popularity poll includes a ‘Hall of Fame’ category, and a massive hall was completed inside Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, on February 5th this year for the 90 past winners. Naturally, Wes Montgomery is among them. If you have the chance to travel to that area, I highly recommend visiting.”