Concert data
Introducing concert information about Wes Montgomery’s activities across the United States in the 1960s, based on DownBeat magazine. While the focus is on events not listed in his discography, it should be noted that some of this information may include events that were altered or canceled, and thus not all details may be accurate. The references are from two sections of DownBeat magazine: “Strictly Ad Lib,” which records musicians’ activities and updates, and “Where & When,” which lists club performance information.
Legend
1. Titles in green, such as “January 1st Issue/New York,” are from that month’s “Strictly Ad Lib.”
2. Titles in blue, such as“January 1st Issue/New York,” are from that month’s “Where & When.”
3. Titles in red, such as“New York,” are from discographies or other information sources.
1962
February 1st Issue/Chicago
It is unknown when it started, but until January 28, the “Montgomery Brothers” performed at “Sutherland” in Chicago.
Wes Montgomery (g) Buddy Montgomery (p) Monk Montgomery (b) unknown (dr) Live at “Sutherland,” Chicago; until 1/28
February 1st Issue/New York
From January 30 to February 11, the “Montgomery Brothers” performed at the “Village Vanguard” in New York. Jackie Cain and Roy Kral were also credited during the same period, but it is unclear if they performed together.
Wes Montgomery (g) Buddy Montgomery (p) Monk Montgomery (b) unknown (dr) Live at “Village Vanguard,” NY; 1/30-2/11
February 15th Issue/New York
A recording session with Milt Jackson and the “Montgomery Brothers” was planned at Riverside. (Translator’s note: This plan fell through as the “Montgomery Brothers” disbanded shortly before.)
June 21st Issue/San Francisco
Wes was invited to join John Coltrane’s quartet at the “Jazz Workshop” but declined the offer to become a regular member. (Translator’s note: According to the same magazine’s live information, Coltrane performed at the club from May 1 to May 20, but it is unknown if Wes participated in all sessions.)
July 5th Issue/San Francisco
Under the direction of Gunther Schuller, an 11-member ensemble performed in Ojai, California. The performance ended by noon, allowing Eric Dolphy to continue performing with John Coltrane’s group at the Jazz Workshop. On the afternoon of May 20 (Sunday), Wes Montgomery and jazz violinist Mike White from Oakland joined Coltrane’s group for a live performance, replacing the regular band members. (Translator’s note: Wes’s participation on this date is confirmed.)
John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Wes Montgomery, Mike White, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones Live at “Jazz Workshop,” San Francisco; 5/20
July 19th Issue/San Francisco
On June 24 (Sunday) and 25 (Monday), Wes successfully performed a session with Johnny Griffin at the Cafe House “Tsubo” in Berkeley. (Translator’s note: The support was from the Kelley Trio, and the recording was made on the 25th, but it is unclear if there was recording on the 24th. Due to positive reception, Wes performed the following week as well, but the details of the members are unknown.)
July 19th Issue/Seattle
An appearance by the Montgomery Brothers (Translator’s note: The band had disbanded, so this name is used for reference) was scheduled at “Penthouse.”
September 13th Issue/San Francisco
The Monterey Jazz Festival was held from September 21 (Friday) to 23 (Sunday). On the final night, Wes performed as part of the already disbanded “Montgomery Brothers Quintet” among artists like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Carmen McRae. Detailed member information is unknown.
November 8th Issue/Chicago
News from Naptown: Dave Baker, who continues to suffer from severe jaw muscle problems, finds it almost impossible to play his main instrument, the trombone, but is rehearsing a big band in Indianapolis. The band includes trumpet player Al Kiger, tenor player Paul Plummer (both of whom played with Baker or George Russell), and young alto player Jamey Aebersold, who was selected at the College Jazz Festival at Notre Dame University this spring. Baker mentioned that Wes Montgomery, who appears to have settled back in Indianapolis, might play with the band. Baker is working hard for this group but does not plan to sign with a record company. (Translator’s note: It is unclear if this was realized.)
Baker’s big band in 1957 gained national attention through Gunther Schuller’s efforts; the central figure of Baker’s combo in small clubs in Indianapolis later became a member of the George Russell Sextet. (Translator’s note: Baker and Wes played together during their Indianapolis days, and a photo of them is published in Adrian Ingram’s book “Wes Montgomery.”)
1963
March 14th Issue/Chicago
Although this article is from Chicago, it mentions that Wes is continuing his activities in his hometown of Indianapolis, performing with an organist and drummer.
April 11th Issue/San Francisco
Before returning to Indianapolis, Wes spent two weeks here in Los Angeles.
April 25th Issue/South Africa
Three American 30-minute jazz programs are being broadcast weekly as a series and have become popular with radio listeners in South Africa. A listener survey of favorite jazz musicians was conducted during the program, with Barney Kessel ranking first in the guitar category and Wes Montgomery second.
August 1st Issue/San Francisco
Bunny Simon, the owner of “Play Pen” on Divisadero Street, opened a jazz club on the second floor of the bar lounge. The opening act was the Wes Montgomery Trio, with Melvin Rhyne and drummer Sonny Johnson.
August 15th Issue/New York
In July, Milt Jackson began recording a 26-week TV series for J.F.T. Productions. Wes Montgomery and Hank Jones performed with Milt, with Richard Davis on bass and Connie Kay on drums. The package, which includes musician, dancer, and singer Marge Dotson, is planned for broadcast on a major network. (It is unclear if Wes Montgomery actually appeared in this recording, but if true, it would be worth seeing.)
October 10th Issue/San Francisco
“Miles Davis was scheduled to perform at the ‘Jazz Workshop,’ but on the night of September 20, he left to perform at the ‘Monterey Jazz Festival.’ The owner of the ‘Jazz Workshop,’ Art Werbach, replaced him with the newly formed Buddy Montgomery Quartet. Buddy switched from piano to vibes, with Flip Nunez on piano, Bobby Meza on bass, and Jimmy Lovelace on drums. Buddy’s brother, Monk Montgomery, who had played bass with the previous band ‘Montgomery Brothers,’ is working with saxophonist Curtis Amy in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, their other brother, Wes Montgomery, is in Indianapolis with organist Melvin Rhyne, with whom he formed a group a few months ago.”
Based on the content of this article, it seems that Wes is only mentioned and did not perform.
November 21st Issue/New York
Billy Taylor’s trio, featuring Ben Tucker and Dave Bailey, invited Wes Montgomery and Clark Terry for a public Town Hall concert organized by Kappa Alpha Psi at New York University.
1964
January 30th Issue/Washington D.C.
Wes signed a two-week engagement at the “Showboat Lounge” in Washington. Wes Montgomery (g), Mel Rhyne (org), George Brown (dr) Washington, D.C.; January I’ll Remember April Yesterday Besame Mucho Misty
Details will be provided on a separate page (Verve era).
May 21st Issue/Philadelphia
Jimmy DePriest, back from a Far East trip, was a guest on Sid Mark’s jazz TV show on WHYY. Mark, a jazz disc jockey at WHAT-FM, started a weekly program with singer Johnny Hartman and began panel discussions on pop music. The series also featured reed player Roland Kirk and guitarist Wes Montgomery.
Reed player Yusef Lateef formed a new group at “Club Pepp,” where musicians like Johnny Hartman, Roland Kirk, and Wes Montgomery were featured.
May 21st Issue/Boston
Wes signed a one-week engagement at the “Jazz Workshop” in Boston. Details on the other members are not provided (the following are speculative). Musicians are not identified save: Wes Montgomery (g), Mel Rhyne (org), George Brown (dr) Live at “Jazz Workshop,” Boston; May 18-24
June 4th Issue/Cincinnati
The only jazz club in the suburbs, the Cabana Lounge, achieved success with a group led by tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, a trio with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, and standout guitarist Wes Montgomery.
July 16th Issue/Pittsburgh
WKBO in Harrisburg began incorporating a jazz team consisting of Barry Parsons and Toby Young into their programming. The two-hour program “Jazz Today” from 11 PM to 2 AM recently featured guitarist Kenny Burrell and his drummer Bill English. The center of jazz activity in the Pennsylvania capital is the Lawson Hotel, where Grant Green and Wes Montgomery are scheduled to perform in the summer.
July 16th Issue/New York
Wes signed a two-week engagement at the “Half Note” club in New York. Musicians are not identified save: Wes Montgomery (g), Mel Rhyne (org), Sam Jones (dr) Live at “Half Note,” NYC; until July 2
August 13th Issue/New York
According to DownBeat (July 16 issue), the fundamental issues Wes Montgomery raised soon began to trouble him. He had left his organ in Indianapolis, assuming someone would lend him an organ for the “Half Note” engagement in late June and early July. However, the available organ was in terrible condition, so he ended up adding pianist Mel Rhyne (replacing the organ) and bassist Sam Jones to his regular group with drummer George Brown. Details will be provided on a separate page (Verve era).
A charity event for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, held in mid-July at the home of Leonard Bernstein in Westport, Connecticut, featured Dizzy Gillespie, Buck Clayton, Billy Taylor, Wes Montgomery, Morgan King, Leroy Jones, Bobby Shad, the “Red Blues Trio,” the “Gene Hall Band,” and the Walt Whitman High School Band led by Clem DeRosa.
September 10th Issue/Cincinnati
The Jazz Crusaders filled the “Penthouse” during their recent one-week stay. Guitarist Wes Montgomery joined the West Coast group before they performed with pianist and singer Mose Allison. Later, organist Jack McDuff and pianist Bill Evans performed at the same club after Allison.
October 8th Issue/Pittsburgh
Guitarist Wes Montgomery and organist Shirley Scott’s group are coming to the Lawson Hotel.
Los Angeles
From the article in Jazz Critic No. 90 “Complete Wes Montgomery.” This is evidence that the so-called “Montgomery Brothers” continued to reunite occasionally after their breakup. The two drummers and conga players were previously considered to have collaborated around 1967-68, but this seems to be the case based on the photographs. Wes Montgomery (g), Buddy Montgomery (p), Monk Montgomery (b) Probably Billy Hart (dr) and Elvin Bunn (cga) Live at “Shelly’s Man-Hole,” LA; October
December 31st Issue/Detroit
The “Fields Bohanon Quintet” replaced the “Detroit Jazz Quintet” for their weekly session at the Unstable Theater. Bohanon and Fields also began a series of Monday night sessions at the “Drome Bar” starting November 30. The featured acts throughout November included the “Johnny Laiter Trio,” Wes Montgomery’s new quartet (featuring pianist Harold Mabern), and the Barry Harris and Sonny Red Quartet. (Note: The other members besides Wes and Harold were Arthur Harper, Jimmy Lovelace, and later European tour participants.) Wes Montgomery (g), Harold Mabern (p), Arthur Harper (b), Jimmy Lovelace (dr) Live at “Drome Bar,” Detroit; November
1965
February 25, Chicago
Wes Montgomery performed at Club McKee with Harold Mabern, Arthur Harper, and Jimmy Lovelace, showcasing his skills with pride to Dexter Gordon, who was present. (Note: It’s unclear from this text whether Montgomery and Gordon performed together.)
Wes Montgomery and his group had a two-day engagement at the Arts in Louisville House on January 22 and 23.
Probable lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Harold Mabern (piano)
Arthur Harper (bass)
Jimmy Lovelace (drums)
Live at “Arts in Louisville House”, Louisville; 1/22-23
New York
Concert information for February 11 at “Half Note” is listed as “unknown,” but it is recorded by the bootleg label Beppo.
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Harold Mabern (piano)
Arthur Harper (bass)
Jimmy Lovelace (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; 2/12
March 11, Philadelphia
Showboat was closed for renovations for two months but reopened in March with Mose Allison. Meanwhile, Pep’s was mostly shuttered in January but reopened near the end of the month with Yusef Lateef. Following Lateef, the schedule listed unbooked areas reserved for Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Roland Kirk, Slide Hampton, Lloyd Price, and Mongo Santamaria, as well as Horace Silver.
April 8, Montreal
Andy Cobett’s “Le Jazz Hot” was scheduled to feature Marian McPartland Trio, Clara Ward Gospel singer, Mongo Santamaria, Bernard Peiffer, Carmen McRae, Sonny Stitt, Yusef Lateef, Roland Kirk, and Wes Montgomery from late January. McPartland’s performance was recorded for a 55-minute jazz discussion on CBM-FM and was considered the best jazz heard in April.
April 8, Boston
The trio at “Pink Poodle” was led by blind organist Earl Grandy, who had practiced extensively for early performances with famous jazz musicians from Indianapolis, including J.J. Johnson and Wes Montgomery.
(Note: It’s unclear from this text whether Montgomery and Grandy performed together.)
May 6, Indianapolis
Wes was scheduled to perform in his hometown but canceled due to a European tour. The engagement at “Mr. B’s” Lounge in Indianapolis was set from April 26 to May 1.
June 3, Italy / San Remo
On March 20, the 10th San Remo Jazz Festival took place over two nights at the casino’s concert hall. Due to the absence of radio and TV broadcasts from Italy, the festival was somewhat shorter than usual. Despite this, the quality of the music and the overall presentation, including lighting and sound, were excellent.
Other notable visits:
March 20: Performed at the 10th San Remo Jazz Festival.
March ?? : Appeared on the TV show “Jazz Prisms” in Brussels. (Probably around this time?)
March 25: Studio live performance on BBC-TV’s “JAZZ 625” in London.
March 27: Concert with J. Griffin at the Champs-Elysees Theater in Paris.
April 2: Appeared with Clark Terry on Vara Radio in Hilversum.
April 3: Performed at Club “B-14” in Rotterdam.
April 5: Returned to London for an engagement at “Ronnie Scott’s Club” until the 24th.
April 25: Performed at NDR Radio’s “Jazz Workshop” in Hamburg until the 30th.
May 1: Concluded performances at “Ronnie Scott’s Club” in London until the 7th. Appeared on ABC-TV’s “Tempo” on the 7th.
June 3, Detroit
Wes performed at “Drome Bar” in Detroit from May 28 to June 6 with his new group.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Hugh Lawson (piano)
Arthur Harper (bass)
Roy Brooks (drums)
Live at “Drome Bar”, Detroit; 5/28-6/6
June 3, Indianapolis
Wes performed at “Mr. B’s” Lounge in Indianapolis from June 7 to June 19. The group, which included Hugh Lawson, Arthur Harper, and Roy Brooks, disbanded after this engagement.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Hugh Lawson (piano)
Arthur Harper (bass)
Roy Brooks (drums)
Live at “Mr. B’s”, Indianapolis; 6/7-6/19
June 17, Philadelphia
Wes had a one-week engagement from June 21 to 26 at “Show Boat” in Philadelphia with the Wynton Kelly Trio.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Show Boat”, Philadelphia; 6/21-6/26
New York
During this period, Wes drove to NYC’s “Half Note” for a live FM broadcast on the 25th. The performance can be heard on Willow Weep For Me/Verve V6-8765.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; 6/25
(Note: There are no previous records of their collaboration, so it’s likely their first performance together. This might mean the famous May recording, including “No Blues,” could be impossible.)
July 15, Detroit
Roy Brooks had returned to Detroit to perform with Wes Montgomery’s new group (including Hugh Lawson and Arthur Harper) at “Drome Bar”.
(Note: This article refers to the June 3 Detroit engagement, published with a considerable delay.)
July 15, Boston
Wes had a one-week engagement at “Jazz Workshop” in Boston from July 5 to 11. Details on the supporting members are unknown.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Unknown support
Live at “Jazz Workshop”, Boston; 7/5-7/11
July 29, Indianapolis
Following a six-week European tour, Wes performed at “Mr. B’s” Lounge in Indianapolis from June 7 to June 19 before returning to NYC. He relaxed at home in between.
(Note: This article refers to the June 3 Indianapolis engagement, published with a considerable delay.)
July 29, Buffalo
Wes had a one-week engagement at “Cold Spring Bon-Ton” in Buffalo from July 26 to August 1. Details on the supporting members are unknown.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Unknown support
Live at “Cold Spring Bon-Ton”, Buffalo; 7/26-8/1
August 12, Rhode Island
Wes performed with the Wynton Kelly Trio during the final four days of the Newport Jazz Festival, which started on July 1. Details will be introduced on a separate page.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Newport Jazz Festival”, Newport; 7/4
New York
Wes performed at “Half Note” in NYC on August 13.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; 8/13
September 9, Chicago
Wes had a one-week engagement with the Wynton Kelly Trio at “Plugged Nickel” in Chicago from August 23 to August 29.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Plugged Nickel”, Chicago; 8/23-8/29
October 7, Boston
Wes performed with the Wynton Kelly Trio at “Lennie’s-on-the-turnpike” in Boston for a week in early September.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Lennie’s-on-the-turnpike”, Boston; early-Sep.
October 7, Baltimore
The “Left Bank Jazz Society” sponsored a concert called “Jazz-on-the-Chesapeake” in early September, featuring Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Jazz-on-the-Chesapeake”, Baltimore; early-Sep.
New York
Wes performed at “Half Note” in NYC on September 17 and September 24.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; 9/17, 9/24
October 7, New Jersey
Wes Montgomery had a one-week engagement with the Wynton Kelly Trio at the “Front Room” in Newark, from October 4 to October 10.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Front Room”, Newark; 10/4-10/10
October 21, New Jersey
The “Front Room” in Newark, NJ, continued its jazz artist parade with the Wynton Kelly Trio and Wes Montgomery currently performing. Following their engagement, vibraphonist/harpist Johnny Little was scheduled to perform from October 11 for one week, with Sonny Rollins set to perform on October 23.
October 21, Baltimore
Wes Montgomery completed a Sunday night tour with the Wynton Kelly Trio at the “Madison Club,” sponsored by the “Left Bank Jazz Society.”
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Madison Club”, Baltimore; early-Sep.
November 4, LA
Wes Montgomery was scheduled for a two-week engagement with the Wynton Kelly Trio at “Shelly’s Manne-Hole” in LA from November 2 to November 14, though it was noted as tentative. (Note: Paul Chambers was hospitalized in November due to an injury; further details are provided elsewhere in the Verve section.)
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Shelly’s Manne-Hole”, LA; 11/2-11/14 (tentative)
New York
The exact date for Wes Montgomery’s performance at “Shelly’s Manne-Hole” is uncertain, but it is likely that it was a live FM broadcast, making it a one-off performance.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Larry Ridley (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; 11/12
December 2, Chicago
A scheduled performance by Miles Davis at “Plugged Nickel” in Chicago was canceled at the last minute when Davis called before the performance to say he no longer wished to play. As a result, the club owner had to quickly bring back organist Jimmy Smith for the weekend. Subsequently, the owner arranged for Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio to take over the second week of the originally scheduled Miles Davis engagement. (Note: Since Miles Davis was scheduled from October 19 to October 31, Wes Montgomery’s engagement was from October 26 to October 31.)
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Plugged Nickel”, Chicago; 10/26-10/31
New York
Wes Montgomery performed at “Half Note” in NYC with the following lineup:
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Herman Wright (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; 11/19
December 2, New York, Philadelphia
Wes Montgomery had an engagement at “Half Note” in NYC with the Wynton Kelly Trio, scheduled until November 22, though the exact start date is unknown. Additionally, he was booked at “Show Boat” in Philadelphia from November 22 to December 4 for a two-week engagement.
Lineup:
Wes Montgomery (guitar)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)
Live at “Half Note”, NYC; to 11/22
Live at “Show Boat”, Philadelphia; 11/22-12/4