John Leslie “Wes” Montgomery (1923.3.6-1968.6.15)
Do you know the guitarist Wes Montgomery? If you’ve delved into jazz to some extent, you’ve likely heard his name at least once.
“What! You know John Coltrane and Miles Davis but not Wes Montgomery?” Well then, let me briefly introduce his great life.
| Name | John Leslie Montgomery |
| Nick Name | Wes |
| Birth | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Birth Day | 1923 March 6th 1923 (Passed away on June 15, 1968, at the age of 45.) |
| Hight | 170㎝ |
| Hobby | Billiards |
| Like | Muffins drizzled with syrup |
| Car | He hated airplanes and in his later years, he drove a Cadillac. |
| Obsession | He was also interested in alligator skin shoes, watches, and other precious metals. |
| Other | Everyone who knew him described him as “gentle and sincere.” Although he was a heavy smoker, he did not drink a drop of alcohol, which led his fellow musicians to nickname him “Rev” (short for “Reverend”) during his time with the Hampton band. |
Wes Montgomery is already deceased, but let me talk about his career divided into five phases.
Wes Montgomery was born on March 6, 1923, in a rural area of Indianapolis, Indiana—a place now well-known for the F1 races. He was the third son in a family of five children (four boys and one girl, though the eldest son passed away young, so they were generally known as three brothers).
His nickname “Wes” is said to have evolved from Leslie to Wesley to Wes. His interest in music began at the age of 12 when his older brother, Monk, who had been playing bass, gave him a four-string guitar. His younger brother, Buddy, played piano (and later vibraphone), and their sister, Ervena, played piano in church, making them a musical family.
Wes married at 19 and by the time he was 20, he had improved so much that he performed regularly at local clubs after finishing his day job. He was self-taught, practicing relentlessly, and his journey began by copying a Charlie Christian record. He eventually developed his own style and mastered the unprecedented octave technique, which involves playing notes an octave apart simultaneously without using a pick, only his thumb.
His sound was soft yet had the richness of a wind instrument. Wes explained the serendipity of this technique by saying, “Late-night practice with an amplifier would have disturbed the neighbors, so I just played with my thumb.”
Phase I: The Lionel Hampton Era
In May 1948, when Wes was 25 years old, the Lionel Hampton band, on a regional tour, visited Indianapolis and held auditions to fill a vacant spot in the band. The news spread throughout the town, and despite being entirely self-taught and unable to read music, Wes seized the opportunity and successfully passed the audition.
Immediately, he embarked on a nationwide tour with Hampton’s band, marking what is known as his “Phase I: The Lionel Hampton Era.” However, by early 1950, Wes felt exhausted from being away from his family and decided to leave the band, returning to his hometown.
After returning home, he performed at clubs until 1957 and formed a band with his brothers, the Montgomery Brothers, and the Johnson brothers, called the Montgomery/Johnson Quintet. They also went on short tours during this time.
Phase II: The Pacific Era
In December 1957, Wes’s brothers, Monk and Buddy, had already formed the “Mastersounds” and were active primarily on the West Coast, prompting Wes to make guest appearances with them again. The Mastersounds were signed to Pacific Records, which also gave Wes the opportunity to record.
During this “Phase II: The Pacific Era,” Wes appeared on six albums, although none were under his own leadership. Only one song (“Finger Pickin'”) was credited to him. Despite still being relatively unknown, fans appreciated the fresh West Coast vibe that Wes brought to the recordings.
Phase III: The Riverside Era
Phase III: The Riverside Era began in September 1959, when Cannonball Adderley and others toured Indianapolis. Wes asked Cannonball to visit his club performance, and when Cannonball arrived as promised, he was completely blown away by Wes’s playing, which he had never imagined. Immediately, Cannonball reported to Orrin Keepnews, the head of Riverside Records.
“There’s an incredible guitarist in Indianapolis. We have to sign him right away, here’s his phone number!” Cannonball exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
Thus, at the age of 36, Wes recorded his debut leader album, The Dynamic New Sound, accompanied by Mel Rhyne and Paul Parker, in October 1959 in New York.
Phase III lasted for four years, during which Wes faced numerous challenges. Despite achieving professional success, he had to support his six children (eventually, seven children), and life was far from easy. He continued working as a welder during the day and performed in clubs until 2 AM to make ends meet.
In February 1960, shortly after the Mastersounds disbanded, Wes fulfilled his brother Monk’s long-standing wish by joining the Montgomery Brothers.
In September 1961, upon Buddy’s recommendation, Wes temporarily joined John Coltrane’s group alone, gaining immense spotlight that would be talked about for years to come. However, due to differences between their record labels, no recordings were made.
By spring 1962, with the economic downturn affecting work opportunities, the Montgomery Brothers disbanded. By the end of 1963, Riverside Records, to which Wes belonged, went bankrupt after the death of its owner, leaving Wes unemployed. However, unable to abandon his large family, in early 1964, he formed a trio with Mel Rhyne and others and embarked on a lengthy national tour, following in the footsteps of his days with Lionel Hampton.
Phase IV: The Verve Era
Phase IV: The Verve Era began in October 1964, when Creed Taylor, a producer who had been eyeing Wes’s impressive recordings on Riverside, brought Wes to Verve Records. Taylor envisioned using Wes in a more commercial setting, steering away from the swinging 4-beat jazz style towards a more pop-oriented recording approach.
If you listen to Wes’s records on Verve, you’ll notice orchestral backing and a selection of popular songs rather than jazz standards. Initially, Wes resisted this direction, but the success of the records brought stability to his life.
In March 1965, amidst this newfound stability, an opportunity of a lifetime arose—a European tour. Wes had previously declined such offers in 1962 due to his fear of flying, stating, “I’ll go anywhere if I can drive there.” However, the persistent requests finally convinced him to relent.
He toured England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands until early May, enjoying the return to 4-beat rhythms and the exotic atmosphere. Reflecting on it, one might say that Phase IV was Wes’s peak period. His playing matured, his records sold well, and he was a highly sought-after performer in clubs.
Phase V:A&M Era
“In 1966, Creed Taylor left Verve Records and moved to A&M Records. However, unable to forget his success with Wes, he recruited him again in 1967. This marked the culmination of Wes Montgomery’s ‘Fifth Period, A&M Era.’
During this time, despite commercial success, Wes faced criticism from old-school jazz fans for abandoning the traditional 4-beat style. He responded passionately in an interview: ‘I don’t care what people say. It seems like everyone dismisses Presley and the Beatles’ music, but I’m trying to find their musical goodness and incorporate it into myself. Of course, I’m not copying.’
During this period, Creed Taylor approached Wes with a different approach from the Verve era. He backed Wes’s guitar with stylish, baroque-like strings and incorporated popular hits like the Beatles’ ‘A Day in the Life,’ which became a major success, selling over 200,000 copies.
Now a pioneer of easy-listening jazz, Wes Montgomery became an undeniable star at the age of 44. However, on the morning of June 15, 1968, a day he thought he could finally relax at home, Wes suddenly felt unwell while sitting at the dining room table. His previously deteriorating heart condition took his life. He was only 45, a tragically young age, succumbing to the pressures of his early career and recent busy schedule.
‘The tiger leaves its skin after death.’ Even in death, Wes Montgomery’s octave technique continues to influence guitarists across genres, making him a ‘jazz giant’ in a different sense from Coltrane and Miles.
So, did you get the gist of it? If you want to know more, I can recommend books that delve deeper into his story. Adrian Ingram’s ‘Wes Montgomery,’ translated by Kiyohito Koizumi, was published by JICC in March 1992. Also, ‘Jazz Critique 90(ジャズ批評９０): Wes Montgomery,’ published by Jazz Critique(ジャズ批評社) in January 1997, is filled with enjoyable articles. I recommend giving them a read.”