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Article: The godfather of cool: Wes Montgomery's baddest solos note for note.(Cover Story)
- Article from:
- Guitar Player
- Article date:
- August 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 New Bay Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"The first time I heard Wes Montgomery play, it was like being hit by a bolt of lightning," wrote the late music critic Ralph J. Gleason in the July/August '73 GP. A quarter-century later, these words still ring true. When you listen to Wes today, you'd better wear rubber soles. Perched on the same pedestal as Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, Montgomery (1923-1968) changed the course of jazz guitar. And his influence extends far beyond the jazz scene. From George Benson to Eric Johnson, Pat Martino to Pat Metheny. Jimi Hendrix to Helmet, Montgomery's disciples span generations and genres. His ideas are ...