Unreleased Track from the Hampton Era

Unreleased Track from the Hampton Era

During the Hampton era, Wes Montgomery participated in backing blues singer Sonny Parker. The CD “Sonny Parker/The Complete 1948-1953” (Bluemoon BMCD-6003) introduced four tracks recorded under the “Aladdin” label. However, one last unreleased track has now been released.

The pianist and singer Floyd Dixon, who signed with “Aladdin” around 1949, recorded this track. It is part of his complete collection, “Floyd Dixon / His Complete Aladdin Recordings” (Capitol CDP 8 36293 2), a two-disc CD set. It was known that Wes was involved in recording five tracks, but the previously unreleased “Sonny’s Blues” has now seen the light of day.

This track is outstanding, especially showcasing Wes’s single-tone solo and his chord backing. Unfortunately, the CD is now out of print and nearly impossible to obtain. Despite my advice to keep an eye on blues releases, I have yet to acquire this CD myself. It was quietly sold in 1996, the year following the release of the aforementioned Sonny Parker CD.