New Year Special Report: Was Wes a Rock ‘n’ Roller?
We bring you the first big news of the New Year. Exactly one year ago, I received an email from a German friend (a Wes Montgomery researcher and collector) that was nothing short of groundbreaking.
“Did you know that Wes recorded with a rock ‘n’ roll band in 1958? Check out the detailed account on saxophonist Jimmy Coe’s website. I got hold of the 45 rpm single and will send you a cassette copy,” he wrote.
Wait, in that era, Elvis Presley was gaining popularity… Could it be that Wes was captivated by him? The single he mentioned was on the Checker label (Checker 902). My excitement to get a copy and verify the information led me to spend two months scouring American websites day and night. The story took an unexpected turn.
I’ll explain the details in the [Era Albums] section, but it turned out that Wes didn’t record for Checker. Instead, he recorded two singles for Note Records, an Indianapolis-based label at the time. The shocking revelation was, “Wes played second guitar, only comping without solos.”
Moreover, this information came from a guitarist named Ronnie Haig, who participated in the recording and confirmed, “I can tell the truth because I recorded with Wes.”
No more solid proof could exist.
The record store owner who emailed me, Stefan Jay, runs “JAN CEE MUSIC,” specializing in rock ‘n’ roll. He assured me, “One of the two singles is available in the store, and the other is held by Ronnie Haig himself. Both can be provided to you.”
Just before Christmas in 2001, the long-awaited Note singles finally arrived. It took a whole year of effort, but it was more than worth it and made for an incredibly fortunate year.
参考：《STRAIGHT AHEAD/Oliver Nelson with Eric Dolphy/Prestige New Jazz NJ 8255》
Jimmy Coe/Note-10013, Ronnie Haig/Note-10014,
Note Label / Single(45rpm)
Note Records INC Indianapolis