The boss of the jazz guitar in a stellar ’63 trio setting

Concord Records initiated a new pass through their Original Jazz Classics catalog in March of 2010, and they now add five more titles to the program. Each reissue features a new 24-bit remaster by Joe Tarantino, extensive liner notes, and bonus tracks. This 1963 set finds jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery at the peak of his creative powers, backed by the talented Mel Rhyne on Hammond B-3 and the sharp-as-a-tack swing of Jimmy Cobb on drums. Montgomery’s tone is both smooth and penetrating, and he’s as mesmerizing playing upbeat romps as he is laying back into ballads. The fluid paths taken by his solo improvisations feel fresh and spontaneous, and his chords are complex yet remain musical. The album is filled with the grooves of Rhyne’s organ playing, but the slow numbers, including Henry Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses” and a serene take on Eddie Heywood’s “Canadian Sunset” are winningly thoughtful. Montgomery thrived in the trio format, and the mix of up-tempo, ballad, original and cover material, along with straight and Latin-inflected rhythms, give this album terrific range and balance. It’s been fifteen years since the last domestic reissue of this title, so it’s great to have modern digital practices applied to this classic. The bonus tracks are alternate takes of the album tracks “Besame Mucho,” “The Trick Bag” and “Fried Pies,” and the fold-out booklet includes full-panel reproductions of the original covers (front and back), Joe Goldberg’s original album notes, and new liners by Neil Tesser that include fresh interview material with Rhyne and Cobb. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]