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Wes Montgomery's stage performances were regarded as the pinnacle of his brilliant, incredibly influential guitar playing. And none other than Pat Metheny called 'Smokin' At The Half Note', recorded in the New York club of the same name in 1965, "the absolute greatest jazz guitar album of all time". The fantastic guitar solo on "Unit 7" alone confirms every letter of that statement.
Montgomery, backed by the Wynton Kelly Trio, has never played with more verve and confidence. His technique of plucking the strings with his thumb instead of a pick produced a round, expansive sound. The opening of Miles Davis' "No Blues" is followed by Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now" - and Montgomery's ballad interpretations are in the same league as his blues, they are simply outstanding.
This recording is part of a series of 25 Verve reissues on Analogue Productions. The original analogue tapes are re-edited at Sterling Sound in New York. Many of the tapes have been sent to other labels as copies for decades, but Sterling Sound works so closely with Universal Music, the owners of the Verve label, that they occasionally make an exception. The hybrid SACDs sound excellent and clearly outshine earlier digitisations.
1. No Blues
2. If You Could See Me Now
3. Unit 7
4. Four On Six
5. What's New?