WES MONTGOMERY
Genres: Hard Bop, Pop, Art Song, Folk • United States

For Wes Montgomery - Buddy Montgomery - Monk Montgomery collective works search under "The Montgomery Brothers". John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He was born March 6, 1925, in Indianapolis, Indiana, as part of a musical family including his brothers Monk (string bass, electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone, piano). He died of a heart attack on June 15, 1968. Montgomery is best known for his unconventional technique on the guitar, which uses octaves and block chords to great extent in his solos, and by plucking the string with his right thumb in place of a pick.  These techniques, the product of his self-taught method which would have likely been discouraged had he taken formal lessons, resulted in a unique voice on the guitar. The bulk of Montgomery's recording career as a leader can be characterized in three parts.  First, from 1959 to 1963, he recorded in read more...