Bags Meets Wes!

Sound DNA

• Jazz
• Bebop & Hard Bop

• warm
• soulful
• smoky

About

In late 1961, two jazz giants, vibraphonist Milt Jackson and guitarist Wes Montgomery, got together to record <i>Bags Meets Wes!</i> The already well-known Jackson had been a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet for several years, while Montgomery had only recently entered the spotlight with his 1960 release <i>The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery</i>. But they shared a love of the blues and the pairing turned out to be a perfect match. (The backup band — pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Philly Joe Jones — is top-notch.) These musicians can swing hard or lightly massage the material just so, and it’s a delight to hear Jackson and Montgomery, with their highly distinctive styles, play off each other. Throughout the album the listener is treated to Montgomery’s warm-toned solos (which often use octave voicings) and Jackson’s finely constructed vibraphone statements. There are no clinkers, but the group’s energetic version of Benny Golson’s “Stablemates,” packed with dazzling performances, stands out.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits