It seems obligatory for all Verve recording artists to be given the ‘full orchestra’ treatment sooner or later. In the cases of Stan Getz, Kenny Burrell and Bill Evans this expensive policy paid handsome dividends musically. Not so with similar ventures built around Donald Byrd, Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery and, going back a few years, Lee Konitz. Simply packing twenty of the New York studio crowd into Rudy Van Gelder’s and waving a Claus Ogerman or Ollie Nelson baton is no guarantee for a jazz masterpiece. Perhaps Creed Taylor, who is behind most of these projects, will eventually realise this.
Guitarist Montgomery has been stuck in some peculiar settings since entering the Verve mill. Bumpin’ (VLP 9106) trapped him amidst a glutinous 14-piece string section; Movin’ Wes (VLP 9092) was a routine big band blow with tired arrangements supplied by Johnny Pate. This new set is of the same ilk as the latter. Nothing special happens. Far from inspiring Wes, the eight brass and five woodwinds only serve to burden him.
There are moments, of course, when shafts of bounding Montgomery virtuosity peep through – usually while he is being stalked by the urgent drums of the magnificent Grady Tate. How much better it might have been if just Montgomery, bassist George Duvivier and Grady had been booked for a trio date instead!
The record is badly laid out too with a pair of bossa novas together, one blues following another and a couple of down ballads lumped cheek by jowl. The leader’s best playing – and it is below his peak – crops up on Boss City and Chim Chim, where Tate’s tight stick work prods Wes into something nearer the creativity we expect from this unorthodox musician.
Oliver Nelson’s arrangements are dull, insipid things and sound like blurred, hasty lifts from Gil Evans (now maybe Evans could have done a score to highlight Montgomery’s gifts, as he did for Kenny Burrell). I can imagine Gil texturing Golden Earrings, a lovely tune from an old Marlene Dietrich movie, with his unique voicings. However, the reality is pretty pedestrian. Quite patently this album, along with the other two I mentioned, are intended to make Montgomery a commercially saleable ‘product.’ I cannot see it coming off, but I do see the guitarist’s devotees holding on to that money if they’ve any sense.
Discography
Goin’ Out Of My Head; O Morro; Boss City; Chim Chim Cheree; Naptown Blues (19¼ min) – Twisted Blues; The End Of A Love Affair; It Was A Very Good Year; Golden Earrings (17¼ min)
Collective personnel: Donald Byrd, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal (tpts); Wayne Andre, Jimmy Cleveland, Quintin Jackson, Danny Moore, Tony Studd (tbns); Phil Woods (alt/clt): Bob Ashton (sax/clt/flt); Jerry Dodgion (alt/clt/flt/picc); Romeo Penque (ten/flt/clt/horn/oboe/picc); Danny Bank (alt/bs-clt/nt/bar); Herbie Hancock or Roger Kellaway (p); Wes Montgomery (g); George Duvivier (bs): Grady Tate or Sol Gubin (d): Candido (sng-d). Hackensack, N.J., 7, 8 & 22/12/65. Arrangements by Oliver Nelson.
(Verve VLP mono & SVLP stereo 9126 32s.)
