Wes Karaoke?

Wes Karaoke?

This [Jazz Minus One] was published in 1994. Maybe I was the only one unaware of it, but I’m introducing it now, albeit a bit late. I’m not sure if the idea of Jazz Minus One came from karaoke or vice versa, but karaoke seems to have originated in Kobe around the mid-1970s.

Jazz Minus One features a piano trio playing 11 songs recorded by Wes, which are included on an accompanying CD. It’s intended for practicing guitar along with the tracks. It doesn’t contain transcriptions of Wes’s improvisations, so it’s designed for you to enjoy your own improvisation. However, it includes Bb, Eb, and bass scores, making it possible to play in a band immediately as part of a combo.

Since importing it from abroad can be expensive, I’ll introduce a music store that sells it. A fantastic store that is gaining attention from many guitarists, located in front of Shibuya East Exit Station, is called “Walkin’.” You can contact them through their website: Jazz Guitar Specialty Store “WALKIN'” http://www.walkin.co.jp.

In the feature “My Favorite Guitars,” familiar Masashi Narita has an article titled “Discovery: Wes Montgomery’s Last Beloved Instrument,” introducing the Gibson Wes Montgomery Custom Model—yes, the famous guitar with the name and diamond-shaped inlays—and the Standel amp used by Wes. Definitely check it out.

The same magazine also has an article about a video of Wes in Belgium released by Vestapol last November, which will be released by Bop on April 21. This is part of the company’s ongoing series “Vintage Jazz Collection,” which includes Bill Evans and others. The title in Japan is “Wes Montgomery at Jazz Prisma ’65.”