Hi, Iâm Marc from JazzGuitarLessons.net and welcome to another episode of Album Deep Dives. Today, Iâll shine the spotlight on the incredible album âBoss Guitarâ, an amazing organ trio work by Wes Montgomery on guitar, of course, Melvin Rhyne on Hammond B3 organ, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. âBoss Guitarâ was recorded on April 22, 1963 and released under the Riverside Record Label. This is Wes' ninth studio album.
In a previous episode, we focused on the famous album âSmokin at the Half Note", with the Wynton Kelly trio supporting the brilliance of the magnificent Wes Montgomery. Thereâs a marked difference between âSmokin at the Half Noteâ and âBoss Guitarâ that is important to point out. They represent very different experiences, as the former was recorded live, and âBoss Guitarâ is a studio album. Apart from this, the organ trio format has a special place in the repertoire of jazz guitarists. As a sidenote for those who are new to the organ trio format, notably, there is no bass. The organist fulfills this role as well as being the main comping instrument in the group. So, the guitar is free take a lead melodic role.
Montgomery recorded this album when he was 38 years old in the prime of his career, and only five years before his untimely death. Although the records that followed did provide hits for Wes, this 1963 session was at a time when he really could make the bold claim that the album suggests, right? Itâs Boss. So, the previous year, Montgomery had placed fourth in the influential Playboy Jazz Poll, and we donât hear from this one any more right? And had been named the âAll-Starsâ All-Star Guitarâ by voting musicians (which is an electorate that included Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Paul Desmond, Duke Ellington, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Frank Sinatra, among others).
Wes had worked extensively with both Melvin Rhyne and Jimmy Cobb prior to this record, âBoss Guitarâ, whose voices permeate the tracks with a very confident and organic sound. Even though Rhyne and Cobb were incredible and respected musicians (you know, having worked with Miles Davis, Cannonball, Duke, etc.) throughout the eight tracks of âBoss Guitar,â both Rhyne and Cobb scarcely solo and work primarily as backing musicians. The Boss Guitar of Wes Montgomery is front and centre and he demonstrates amazing lyrical dexterity. The trio plays mainly jazz standards in this record; however, two Montgomery compositions are featured in this album, which are: âThe Trick Bagâ and âFried Piesâ and these demonstrate the brilliance of Wes Montgomeryâs compositional ability with a simmering workout and a strong interplay between the organ and drums.
In this Deep Dive, we're going to thoroughly explore just two of the standout tunes on this album, namely, "Besame Mucho", and "Fried Pies."
Amidst the eight sparkling and diverse tunes is the old Latin Standard âBesame Mucho.â Interestingly, it received an uncommon treatment as a spirited jazz waltz in Bb minor with some funk overtones on this album. Throughout âBesame Muchoâ, which was originally a cut time Latin Waltz composed by Consuelo Velazquez and Sunny Skylar, Wes Montgomery displays an amazing command over the melody. He does not play it in a conventional manner for sure. He takes twists and turns in the melodic phrasing, playing bluesy and bebop licks here and there. And He trills and displaces notes so that the melody feels as though it is rolling through a hillside. In this way, even before the solo, Montgomery displays the virtuosity of his single note styling and phrasing.
(music clip âBesame Muchoâ 00:11 - 00:35)
Born on March 6, 1923, John Leslie âWesâ Montgomery grew up listening to Big Band Jazz. When we examine Montgomeryâs solo technique, we find that he operates like a big band unto himself. He usually begins his solo with single line, horn-like phrases and motifs. Wes then moves to the use of octaves as a horn section in a big band might articulate. And finally, he moves on the improvisation using chord shapes. So, his use of block chords, especially drop 2 voicings, resembles very much what the saxophone section would play during the soli in a big band chart. During âBesame Muchoâ he develops his blowing in just this way, exactly the same formula. He starts his solo with fluid single note melodies, and then adding to the mix bluesy and bebop licks with great use of space and phenomenal phrasing.
(music clip âBesame Muchoâ 01:39 - 02:25)
As the formula dictates, in the next section of the solo Montgomeryâs use of octaves is a real master class in call and response. The blues-oriented sound cultivated in the first chorus is still dominant, particularly at important cadences in the progression. His playing is full of strong melodic riffs, and well into the octave solo we can appreciate a classic slurred-octave articulation. This particular portion of his blowing introduces such an ear catching rhythmic motif that develops as the octave solo moves into the bridge of the tune, the B section. Letâs listen.
(music clip âBesame Muchoâ 03:46 â 04:04)
As Wes enters the bridge during his improvisation, he uncovers some amazing rhythmic devices. So, the rhythmic motif that I would like to point out here is conformed of two eighth notes and an eighth note rest. This is very characteristic of Montgomeryâs playing overall. Applying this kind of rhythmic motif to simple arpeggios, and with the aid of rests and metric displacement, he is creating syncopation by accenting certain beats. Letâs listen.
(music clip âBesame Muchoâ 04:04 - 04:20)
Right after that rhythmic motif that we just pointed out, Montgomery produces a compelling rhythmic episode using a different rhythmic motif consisting of an eighth note triplet and a quarter note. So, note here, we have an hemiola effect created by the rhythmic displacement of this motif against the song thatâs in 3â4, remember itâs a waltz. So also, itâs very interesting to point out how Montgomery is grouping his melodies during this section in two bar phrases. This motivic development occurring on two distinct levels simultaneously is an indicator of Montogmeryâs natural improvising genius.
(music clip âBesame Muchoâ from 04:22 - 04:32).
Now letâs explore the other track from âBoss Guitarâ that is another Wes composition, well, I shouldnât say another; itâs the Wes composition that we are featuring in this deep dive, itâs called âFried Pies.â Downbeatâs review of the album regarded âFried Piesâ as a âcooking horizontally-stretched blues.â And weâre mentioning, this is downbeat magazine by the way. So, this tune is really an uncommon twelve bar blues in F, featuring a clever arrangement with a very tricky ensemble line in the melody. Itâs a two-section structure for improvisation with an interesting harmonic drone, and an exemplary guitar solo.
Montgomeryâs creation features a brisk single note bluesy melody supported by accented off-beat chord punches. These phrases are played in lockstep by the guitar and organ. So, the 12 bar blues format and its customary progression are more implied than overtly stated in the head. Note the unusual placement of the I and IV chords, which would be, in this case is F7 and Bb7. Also, this tune exemplifies a characteristic tritone substitution mutation to the blues that Montgomery uses superbly. He substitutes D7 for Ab13, Gm7 for Db9, and F7 for B13âit's actually similar to the Ladybird turnaround, the Tad Dameron, but without the major 7th chord voicings, if you will. He then repeats the pattern, smoothly revealing Mel Rhyneâs solo on the organ. Letâs listen.
(music clip âFried Piesâ 00:01 â 00:40)
Montgomery builds a solo that not only effortlessly demonstrates his jazz blues credentials, but also alludes to a more modal vocabulary, which would be a major aspect of jazz throughout the 1960âs. The first section of his solo happens over an F5 drone, so like a power chord interlude in half time feel where Montgomery plays very modally. He mixes minor and dominant seventh melodies in a brilliant way. He opens with a minor mode line that emphasizes through repetition on the Cb, which is the flatted fifth, of course, or the blue note in F. He then switches tonalities to the major dominant side, using an F major pentatonic scale in a descending triplet lick. Letâs listen.
(music clip âFried Piesâ 02:24 - 02:49)
The opening six bar phrase of this blues form solo lends a bebop air to this improvisation. The very top of the solo begins with a dramatic C7(b13#9) chord into an F13 chord. Here, the band sets up the swing feel as Montgomery moves through the first chorus. Wes uses chromaticism and interval jumps, mixed with arpeggios and scalar melodies to create tension and resolution in his lines. As he moves to the end of the chorus, Montgomery starts playing slightly behind the beat to create a more pronounced swing feel, if you will.
(music clip âFried Piesâ 02:49 - 03:08)
Now, we know Wes Montgomery shaped the way in which the world viewed jazz guitar, and helped secure a more dominant role in jazz combos for that instrument. Jazz guitarist Bobby Broom said that Wes Montgomery âintroduced a brand-new approach to playing the guitar... (his) octave technique... and his chord melody and chord soloing playing still is today unmatched.â (Ross, Brian, âBobby Broom on West Montgomeryâs 1959 Jazz Guitar Impact.â January 11, 2019).
Thank you for listening to this episode of Album Deep Dives. We could all learn an entire course worth of jazz guitar soloing and comping techniques by listening to and analyzing Wes Montgomeryâs work on this record, right? His use of single note lines, octaves, and chord-melody throughout the solos, as well as his magnificent comping work behind the organ that display an array of important lessons here, and I hope that you take away some useful and inspiring tips with this episode.
