I had a good discussion recently with my friend about classic jazz. I mentioned that Wes Montgomery is my favorite when it comes to that genre of music.

However, when it comes to classic jazz Wes Montgomery does not get mentioned in the same discussions as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, & Thelonious Monk. He belongs in that discussion. His innovations on the guitar has influenced numerous musicians from George Benson, Lee Ritenour, & Pat Metheny to name a few.

The guitar is my favorite musical instrument and hearing Montgomery on his greatest songs like 4 on 6, Unit 7, Mr. Walker, & Road Song are sublime.

I don’t have a favorite album of his music. But I would recommend his greatest hits compilation as a start to his music.

I’ve been listening to Pretty Blue (Take 2) for the past couple of days. It is a beautiful song that can set your mood for the entire day. We need good mood setting music for the year we’ve had.

Wes Montgomery is one of the true greats of jazz and one of the greatest American musicians. You can not tell the story of jazz without the contributions of Wes Montgomery.