The Wes Montgomery Trio

Wes Montgomery’s debut for the New York-based Riverside label marked the culmination of his years on the Indianapolis club circuit, during which he honed his craft playing with organist Melvin Rhyne and drummer Paul Parker, who accompany him here. What is immediately striking is the lushness of sound created between just three individuals. There is a particular symbiosis between Montgomery and Rhyne — when the guitarist goes staccato, the organist will draw out the sound of his keys, while Montgomery rests on luscious chords when it’s Rhyne’s turn to pluck a solo. They are clearly a nightclub act — fifty years later, these songs still evoke a smoke-filled after-hours bar — but the trio’s powers of invention are extraordinary. Their interpretations of “Yesterdays” and “Satin Doll” are orchestral in the subtlest possible manner, while a reading of Monk’s “’Round Midnight” goes directly to the song’s dark center. Following the release of this album, Keepnews would pair Montgomery with the best and brightest of New York’s post-bop scene, but his career holds a special place for this definitive collaboration with his hometown fraternity.