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I apologize for the self-indulgence, but there’s recently been an unusually high-priced frenzy on an auction site for a CD that deserves mention: “Smokin’ Guitar,” a must-have for Wes Montgomery fans. Released under the label “TOKO,” a collaboration between Tokui and Kiyohito Koizumi in 1994, this limited edition of 500 copies features previously unreleased recordings sourced from an air-check tape of a 1965 Half Note live broadcast.

Certainly, it remains a niche item, yet significant factors, such as the revision of neighboring rights laws prohibiting releases from pirate tapes until 50 years after a musician’s death (Wes passed away in 1968), prevent additional presses from major labels. Thus, the rarity and value of this CD have soared unexpectedly.

Personally, like many others, I possess only one copy. However, I staunchly refuse to authorize additional presses—after all, I wouldn’t want to diminish Wes’s value. But come 2018, from a different tape, I plan to release a second edition, so please stay tuned.