Wes Montgomery - The Orrin Keepnews Essay

© -  Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Along with Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery formed a triumvirate of plectorists who were arguably the most influential Jazz guitarists of all time [although a strong case could be made for Chuck Wayne's, Barney Kessel's and Tal Farlow’s roles, collectively, in bringing Bebop to the Jazz guitar].

But because Wes has been such an iconic figure in Jazz guitar circles for 50 years since his death in 1968 at the ridiculously young age of forty-five [45], many Jazz fans are unaware of the fact that his recording career spanned only the last 8 years of his life. He made his first important recordings for Orrin Keepnews in 1960. And after that label went bankrupt in 1964, Creed Taylor brought him over to Verve where he had four years of blockbuster hit recordings before his passing.

And had it not been for Orrin Keepnews who acted on Cannonball Adderley’s recommendation to record him, Wes might have remained an obscure local Jazz figure based in Indianapolis who never came to the attention of the national and international Jazz public.

This reminiscence from Orrin explains how it all came about and it can be found in his The View from Within: Jazz Writings 1948-1987.