His career mirrors G. Benson’s (both are complex jazz artists who draw from a plethora of influences and both have found so much success in the Rhythm and Blues field that it has taken them away from the jazz idioms they have mastered ). If he had started his career earlier Jarreau would probably be a respected (and broke) jazz singer. (more…)
Keith Jarrett is one of the most influential pianists of the last 35 years. With an expressive chordal style and deft stylistic versatility, Keith Jarrett’s early stint with C. Lloyd put his name in the jazz spotlight. His awe-inspiring solos ( including shimmering Post Bop work) and textural mastery ranged in sound from bellowed grunts to percussive solos (more…)
Montgomery started learning guitar at the age of 19, listening to and learning recordings of his idol, the guitarist C. Christian. He was known for his skill to play Charlie Christian solos note for note and was hired by Lionel Hampton for this ability.
Montgomery is often considered the greatest of modern jazz guitarists. Following the early work of swing guitarist Charlie Christian and gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Wes arguably put guitar on the map as a bebop or post-bop instrument. Although Johnny Smith was the guitarist in the original New York Bebop scene, and both T. Farlow and J. Raney made amazing contributions in the 1950’s to bebop guitar, each of these men curtailed their own output in the 1960s, creating a vacuum that Montgomery naturally filled with virtuous playing. While many Jazz players are regarded as virtuosos, Montgomery was unique in his wide influence on other virtuosos who followed him, and in the respect he earned from his contemporaries. To many, Montgomery’s playing defines jazz guitar and the sound that many try to emulate.
An Oliver Nelson’s arrangement of Wes Montgomery’s Naptown Blues.
Montgomery toured with L. Hampton early in his career, however the combined stress of touring and being away from family brought him back home to Indianapolis. To sustain his family of eight, Wes Montgomery worked in a factory from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, then performed in local clubs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. Cannonball Adderley heard Montgomery in an Indianapolis club and was floored. He helped sign Montgomery to a recording contract and recorded with him on his Pollwinners album. Wes Montgomery recorded with his brothers and various other group members, including the W. Kelly Trio which before backed up M. Davis.
Coltrane asked Montgomery to join his band after a Jam session, but Wes Montgomery continued to lead his own band. Boss Guitar seems to refer to his status as a guitar-playing bandleader. He also made contributions to recordings by Jimmy Smith. Jazz purists relish Wes Montgomery’s recordings up through 1965, and sometimes complain that he abandoned hard-bop for pop jazz towards the end of his career, although it is arguable that he gained a wider audience for his earlier work with his soft jazz from 1965-1968. During this late period he would occasionally turn out original material alongside jazzy orchestral arrangements of pop songs. In sum, this late period earned him considerable wealth and created a platform for a new listeners to hear his earlier recordings.
It’s impossible to speak of jazz guitar without remembering the great Wes Montgomery. The guitarist (more…)
Jazz historians consider Charlie Parker one of the greatest jazz musicians, along with other pioneers such as Armstrong and Ellington. Jazz critic S. Yanow stated that “Parker was arguably the greatest saxophonist of all time”.
Alto saxophone giant C. Parker can correctly be considered the father of modern jazz. Originally from Kansas City, Charlie Parker moved to New York permanently in 1940, playing with J. McShann’s big band, then with E. Hines and B. Eckstine. During this period, however, something else was brewing. Parker began playing in the small clubs on 52nd Street, where a handful of musicians led by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie were breaking new ground. Rather than dealing primarily with compositions and arrangements, the beboppers focused on improvisation. Playing in small groups at blistering tempos, Parker and his cohorts
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