Wes Montgomery - Complet Riverside Recordings 12 CD Pack

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Never before has there been a jazz musician who has had an influence on so many players as Wes Montgomery. Most of the top players today credit him with fueling their desire to play jazz guitar. His incredible sense of phrasing, harmonic structure and note selection was unique, always advancing in its own distinctive way. Montgomery was as contemporary and forward thinking as any artist who has ever played and this recorded legacy is truly priceless.

This collection of 12 CDs encompasses his total output for the Riverside label. Fans eagerly awaited each album which were pressed between 1959 and 1963. The 25 recording sessions resulted in an amazing exhibition of small group energy and creativity. Wes was surrounded by the greatest players of that era, and each album seemed to surpass the previous one.

In 1964 the Riverside label was forced to go out of business and Montgomery moved to the Verve label where producer Creed Taylor moved him into his so-called "commercial" period. These later recordings are the ones most available to young players of today. Although his virtuosity still shone through in this new venture, the early Riverside works are truly the groundbreaking efforts that stand as the basis of Wes' legacy.

Disc One was originally issued as Wes Montgomery Trio featuring Mel Rhyne on organ and Paul Parker on drums. There are original and alternate takes of "Satin Doll" and "Missile Blues." Montgomery's solo on "Round Midnight" is described by producer Orrin Keepnews as one of his most emotional recorded efforts. The second Disc, titled The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, has Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums joining Wes for a truly amazing recording. Original compositions become more prevalent with "West Coast Blues" making its debut along with "Four On Six" and "D Natural Blues." Wes establishes a pattern of blistering single note solos followed by octave choruses and block chord movement that defy the laws of physics.

The remaining selections in this compilation showcase so many legendary players and high-level performances that choosing a favorite is difficult, at best. Montgomery had an uncanny knack of bringing out the absolute best of anyone with whom he recorded. And, given the list of artists employed by this label, that was no small task. Pianists included Victor Feldman, George Shearing, Dick Hyman, and Wynton Kelly. Cannonball Adderly, Johnny Griffen, and Harold Land were some of the wind players. Bassists Sam Jones, Keter Betts, and Paul Chambers contributed their talents. Drummers Louis Hayes, Bobby Thomas, Jimmy Cobb, George Brown, and Philly Joe Jones were some of the timekeepers, providing wonderful drive and punch to these sessions.

There are 158 performances included in this box set, 49 of which are alternates or previously not released. Sixteen tracks were not issued prior to this collection. A 32-page insert accompanying the set shows each original album cover and a detailed description of each recording session written by Keepnews is also included. The anecdotal information alone is priceless to Montgomery fans providing personal insight to each of the albums never presented before. Montgomery is memorialized in tributes written by Jim Ferguson, Nat Adderley, Kenny Burrell, and Jim Hall as well as others whose lives he touched with his music and his persona. This is a powerful section of recollection and inspiration that truly shows his legacy on and off the bandstand.

All of Montgomery's best small group performances and classic original tunes are included in this one collection. Whether it is Boss Guitar, Full House, Cannonball Adderley and the Poll Winners or Wes Montgomery with Strings, each disc seems to be even better than the one before. Wes had a technical command of the instrument and unique sound when, combined with his emotional texture, draws the listener into an unparalleled musical experience. This amazing collection of recorded material is best compared to a novel that is difficult to put down once it is begun. Any student of jazz guitar should begin their research in the genre with this compilation. This masterpiece of musical history must be included in the library of any guitarist seeking true inspiration.

Disc 1
1. 'Round Midnight - Wes Montgomery
2. Satin Doll [Alternate Take - Take 5] - Wes Montgomery
3. Satin Doll [Take 7 - Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
4. Missile Blues [Take 5] - Wes Montgomery
5. Missile Blues [Take 6-Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
6. Jingles - Wes Montgomery
7. Whisper Not - Wes Montgomery
8. End of a Love Affair - Wes Montgomery
9. Too Late Now - Wes Montgomery
10. Ecaroh - Wes Montgomery
11. Yesterdays - Wes Montgomery
12. Airegin - Wes Montgomery
13. West Coast Blues - Wes Montgomery
14. Four on Six - Wes Montgomery

Disc 2
1. D-Natural Blues - Wes Montgomery
2. In Your Own Sweet Way - Wes Montgomery
3. Mr. Walker - Wes Montgomery
4. Polka Dots and Moonbeams - Wes Montgomery
5. Gone With the Wind - Wes Montgomery
6. Sack O' Woe - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
7. Work Song - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
8. Scrambled Eggs - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
9. Pretty Memory - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
10. Fallout - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
11. My Heart Stood Still - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
12. Mean to Me - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
13. Violets for Your Furs - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery
14. I've Got a Crush on You - Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery

Disc 3
1. Compulsion - Harold Land, Wes Montgomery
2. Terrain - Harold Land, Wes Montgomery
3. Klact-Oveeseds-Tene - Harold Land, Wes Montgomery
4. Ursula - Harold Land, Wes Montgomery
5. West Coast Blues - Harold Land, Wes Montgomery
6. Don't Explain - Harold Land, Wes Montgomery
7. Lolita - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery
8. Chant - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery
9. Azule Serape - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery

Disc 4
1. Never Will I Marry - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery
2. Yours Is My Heart Alone - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery
3. Privave [Take 1 - Alternate Take] - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery
4. Privave [Take 2 - Originally Issued] - Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery
5. Tune-Up [Take 4-Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
6. Tune-Up [Take 9 - Alternate Take] - Wes Montgomery
7. Body and Soul [Take 2 - Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
8. Body and Soul [Take 4/6 - Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
9. Body and Soul [Take 7 - Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
10. Sandu - Wes Montgomery
11. So Do It! [Take 1] - Wes Montgomery

Disc 5
1. So Do It! [Take 6-Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
2. Movin' Along [Take 1-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
3. Movin' Along [Take 4-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
4. Movin' Along [Take 5 - Originally Issued/Re-Edited] - Wes Montgomery
5. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You - Wes Montgomery
6. Says You - Wes Montgomery
7. Doujie [Take 6, Originally Issued] - The Montgomery Brothers
8. Doujie [Take 7, Alternate] - The Montgomery Brothers
9. Just for Now - The Montgomery Brothers
10. Groove Yard - The Montgomery Brothers
11. Heartstrings - The Montgomery Brothers
12. Remember - The Montgomery Brothers
13. Delirium - The Montgomery Brothers

Disc 6
1. Bock to Bock [Take 1 - Alternate] - The Montgomery Brothers
2. Bock to Bock [Take 3 - Originally Issued] - The Montgomery Brothers
3. If I Should Lose You [Take 2-Alternate] - The Montgomery Brothers
4. If I Should Lose You [Take 4-Originally Issued] - The Montgomery Brothers
5. Doujie [Take 8][#] - The Montgomery Brothers
6. Somethin' Like Bags - Wes Montgomery
7. I'm Just a Lucky So and So - Wes Montgomery
8. Cotton Tail - Wes Montgomery
9. Twisted Blues - Wes Montgomery
10. I Wish I Knew - Wes Montgomery
11. Repetition - Wes Montgomery
12. While We're Young - Wes Montgomery
13. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) - Wes Montgomery

Disc 7
1. Darn That Dream [Take 1-Alternate] - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
2. Darn That Dream [Take 8 - Originally Issued] - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
3. And Then I Wrote - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
4. Double Deal - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
5. No Hard Feelings - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
6. Love Walked In [Take 1-Alternate] - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
7. Love Walked In [Take 11 - Originally Issued] - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
8. Lois Ann - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
9. Enchanted - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
10. Love for Sale - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
11. Stranger in Paradise - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
12. Mambo in Chimes [Take 1-Alternate] - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
13. Mambo in Chimes [Take 11 - Originally Issued] - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
14. Lamp Is Low - The Montgomery Brothers, George Shearing
15. Blue Roz [Take 3 - Alternate] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
16. Blue Roz [Take 4 - Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
17. Jingles [Take 8] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
18. Jingles [Take 9 - Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery

Disc 8
1. Stairway to the Stars [Take 2-Alternate] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
2. Stairway to the Stars [Take 6-Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
3. Stablemates [Take 2][#] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
4. Stablemates [Take 4-Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
5. Sam Sack [Take 2][#] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
6. Sam Sack [Take 3 - Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
7. S.K.J. [Take 4][#] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
8. S.K.J. [Take 7 - Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
9. Delilah [Take 3 - Alternate Take] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
10. Delilah [Take 4-Originally Issued] - Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery
11. Come Rain or Come Shine [Take 1- Alternate Take][Live] - Wes Montgomery
12. Born to Be Blue [Take 1][Live][#] - Wes Montgomery

Disc 9
1. Blue 'N' Boogie [Take 1][Live][#] - Wes Montgomery
2. Cariba [Take 1][Live][#] - Wes Montgomery
3. S.O.S. [Take 2-Alternate][Live] - Wes Montgomery
4. Come Rain or Come Shine [Take 2-Originally Issued][Live] - Wes Montgomery
5. Born to Be Blue [Take 2 - Subsequently Issued][Live] - Wes Montgomery
6. Full House [Live] - Wes Montgomery
7. Cariba [Take 2 - Originally Issued][Live] - Wes Montgomery
8. Blue 'N' Boogie [Take 2 - Originally Issued][Live] - Wes Montgomery

Disc 10
1. S.O.S. [Take 3 - Originally Issued][Live] - Wes Montgomery
2. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face [Live] - Wes Montgomery
3. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning - Wes Montgomery,
4. Pretty Blue [Take 1-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery,
5. Pretty Blue [Take 2-Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery,
6. Girl Next Door [Take 1] - Wes Montgomery,
7. Girl Next Door [Take 2-Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery,
8. God Bless the Child [Take 2-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery,
9. God Bless the Child [Take 4-Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery,
10. My Romance - Wes Montgomery,
11. Prelude to a Kiss [Take 2][#] - Wes Montgomery,
12. Prelude to a Kiss [Take 3][#] - Wes Montgomery,
13. All the Way - Wes Montgomery,
14. Somewhere - Wes Montgomery,
15. Tune-Up [Take 1] - Wes Montgomery,
16. Tune-Up [Take 2/3 - Alternate] - Wes Montgomery,
17. Tune-Up [Take 4-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery,
18. Tune-Up [Take 5 - Originally Issued/Re-Edited] - Wes Montgomery,
19. Baubles, Bangles and Beads [Take 3][#] - Wes Montgomery
20. Baubles, Bangles and Beads [Take 4 - Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery

Disc 11
1. Trick Bag [Take 2/5 - Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
2. Trick Bag [Take 6-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
3. Days of Wine and Roses - Wes Montgomery
4. Canadian Sunset - Wes Montgomery
5. Dearly Beloved - Wes Montgomery
6. For Heaven's Sake - Wes Montgomery
7. Besame Mucho [Take 2 - Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
8. Besame Mucho [Take 3 - Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
9. Fried Pies [Take 1-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
10. Fried Pies [Take 2 - Originally Issued/Re-Edited] - Wes Montgomery
11. Breeze and I - Wes Montgomery
12. Moanin' [Take 7 - Originally Issued/Re-Edited] - Wes Montgomery
13. Dreamsville - Wes Montgomery

Disc 12
1. Freddie Freeloader - Wes Montgomery
2. Movin' Along [#] - Wes Montgomery
3. Mi Cosa [Take 1 - Subsequently Issued] - Wes Montgomery
4. For All We Know - Wes Montgomery
5. Way You Look Tonight [Take 1 - Originally Issued] - Wes Montgomery
6. Way You Look Tonight [Take 2-Alternate] - Wes Montgomery
7. Yesterday's Child [#] - Wes Montgomery
8. Geno - Wes Montgomery
9. Dangerous [#] - Wes Montgomery
10. Lolita [#] - Wes Montgomery
11. Blues Riff [Take 7] - Wes Montgomery
12. Blues Riff [Take 8] - Wes Montgomery
13. Moanin' [Take 10 - Alternate] - Wes Montgomery

The Mastersounds With Wes Montgomery - Kismet The King

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01 - Overture
02 - Gesticulate And Rhymes Have I
03 - Olive Tree
04 - Not Since Nineveh
05 - Baubles Bangles And Beads
06 - Fate
07 - And This Is My Beloved
08 - Stranger In Paradise
09 - Dance Of The Siamese Children
10 - I Have Dreamed
11 - Medley (The Puzzlement-Something Wonderful)
12 - Getting To Know You
13 - My Lord And Master
14 - Medley (Hello Young Lovers-Whistle A Happy Tune)
15 - We Kiss In The Shadows
16 - Shall We Dance
17 - Epilogue

Montgomery was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He came from a musical family; his brothers, Monk (string bass and electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone and piano), were jazz performers. The brothers released a number of albums together as the Montgomery Brothers. Although he was not skilled at reading music, he could learn complex melodies and riffs by ear. Montgomery started learning guitar relatively late, at the age of 19, by listening to and learning the recordings of his idol, guitarist Charlie Christian. He was known for his ability to play Christian solos note for note and was hired by Lionel Hampton for this ability.^[1]

Many fellow jazz guitarists consider Montgomery the greatest influence among modern jazz guitarists. Pat Metheny has praised him greatly, saying "I learned to play listening to Wes Montgomery's Smokin' At The Half Note." In addition, Metheny stated to the New York Times in 2005 that the solo on "If You Could See Me Now," from this album is his favorite of all time. Joe Pass indicated that, "To me, there have been only three real innovators on the guitar--Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, and Django Reinhardt," as cited in James Sallis's The Guitar Players and in his Hot Licks instructional video. In addition, George Benson attests, "Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. That's why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people." Kenny Burrell states, "It was an honor that he called me as his second guitarist for a session." In addition, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Jimi Hendrix, David Becker, Joe Diorio and Pat Martino have pointed to him numerous times as a great influence.

Following the early work of swing/pre-bop guitarist Charlie Christian and gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Wes joined Tal Farlow, Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney, and Barney Kessell to put guitar on the map as a bebop / post-bop instrument. While these men generally curtailed their own output in the 1960s, Montgomery recorded prolifically during this period, lending guitar to the same tunes contemporaries like John Coltrane and Miles Davis were recording. While many Jazz players are regarded as virtuosos, Montgomery had a very wide influence on other virtuosos who followed him, and in the respect he earned from his contemporaries. To many, Montgomery's playing defines jazz guitar and the sound that learners try to emulate.

Dave Miele and Dan Bielowsky claim, "Wes Montgomery was certainly one of the most influential and most musical guitarists to ever pick up the instrument....He took the use of octaves and chord melodies to a greater level than any other guitarist, before or since....Montgomery is undoubtedly one of the most important voices in Jazz guitar that has ever lived-or most likely ever will live. A discussion of Jazz guitar is simply not thorough if it does not touch upon Wes Montgomery." (Jazz Improv Magazine, vol 7 # 4 p. 26).

"Listening to [Wes Montgomery's] solos is like teetering at the edge of a brink," composer-conductor Gunther Schuller asserted, as quoted by Jazz & Pop critic Will Smith. "His playing at its peak becomes unbearably exciting, to the point where one feels unable to muster sufficient physical endurance to outlast it." Wes received many awards and accolades: Nominated for two Grammy Awards for Bumpin', 1965; received Grammy Award for Goin' Out of My Head as Best Instrumental Jazz Performance by Large Group or Soloist with Large Group, 1966; nominated for Grammy Awards for "Eleanor Rigby" and Down Here on the Ground, 1968; nominated for Grammy Award for Willow, Weep for Me, 1969. Wes' second album, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, earned him Down Beat magazine's "New Star" award in 1960. In addition, he won the Down Beat Critic's Poll award for best Jazz guitarist in 1960, '61, '62,'63, '66, and 1967. (NPR.org, September 26, 2007).

Montgomery toured with Lionel Hampton early in his career, however the combined stress of touring and being away from family brought him back home to Indianapolis. To support his family of eight, Montgomery worked in a factory from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, then performed in local clubs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. Cannonball Adderley heard Montgomery in an Indianapolis club and was floored. The next morning, he called record producer Orrin Keepnews, who signed Montgomery to a recording contract with Riverside Records. Adderly later recorded with Montgomery on his Pollwinners album. Montgomery recorded with his brothers and various other group members, including the Wynton Kelly Trio which previously backed up Miles Davis.

John Coltrane asked Montgomery to join his band after a jam session, but Montgomery continued to lead his own band. Boss Guitar seems to refer to his status as a guitar-playing bandleader. He also made contributions to recordings by Jimmy Smith. Jazz purists relish Montgomery's recordings up through 1965, and sometimes complain that he abandoned hard-bop for pop jazz towards the end of his career, although it is arguable that he gained a wider audience for his earlier work with his soft jazz from 1965-1968. During this late period he would occasionally turn out original material alongside jazzy orchestral arrangements of pop songs. In sum, this late period earned him considerable wealth and created a platform for a new audience to hear his earlier recordings.

Wes Montgomery died of a heart attack on June 15, 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.^[2]

[edit] Technique

According to Jazz guitar educator Wolf Marshall, Montgomery often approached solos in a three-tiered manner: He would begin a repeating progression with single note lines, derived from scales or modes; after a fitting number of sequences, he would play octaves for a few more sequences, finally culminating with block chords.^[1]

The use of octaves (playing the same note on two strings one octave apart) for which he is widely known, became known as "the Naptown Sound". Montgomery was also an excellent "single-line" or "single-note" player, and was very influential in the use of block chords in his solos. His playing on the jazz standard Lover Man is an example of his single-note, octave- and block-chord soloing. ("Lover Man" appears on the Fantasy album The Montgomery Brothers.)

Instead of using a guitar pick, Montgomery plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb, using downstrokes for single notes and a combination of upstrokes and downstrokes for chords and octaves. Montgomery developed this technique not for technical reasons but for his wife. He worked long hours as a machinist before his career began and practiced late at night while his wife was sleeping. He played with his thumb so that his playing would be softer and not wake her. This technique enabled him to get a mellow, expressive tone from his guitar. George Benson, in the liner notes of the Ultimate Wes Montgomery album, wrote, "Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. That's why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people."

He generally played a Gibson L-5CES guitar. In his later years he played one of two guitars that Gibson custom made for him. In his early years, Montgomery had a tube amp, often a Fender. In his later years, he played a solid state Standel amp with a 15-inch (380 mm) speaker.

[edit] Recording career

Montgomery toured with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton's orchestra from July 1948 to January 1950, and can be heard on recordings from this period. Montgomery then returned to Indianapolis and did not record again until December 1957 (save for one session in 1955), when he took part in a session that included his brothers Monk and Buddy, as well as trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who made his recording debut with Montgomery. Most of the recordings made by Montgomery and his brothers from 1957-1959 were released on the Pacific Jazz label.^[1]

From 1959 Montgomery was signed to the Riverside Records label, and remained there until late 1963, just before the company went bankrupt. The recordings made during this period are widely considered by fans and jazz historians to be Montgomery's best and most influential. Two sessions in January 1960 yielded The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, which was recorded as a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. The album featured two of Montgomery's most well-known compositions, "Four on Six" and "West Coast Blues."

Almost all of Montgomery's output on Riverside featured the guitarist in a small group setting, usually a trio (and always with his organist from his Indianapolis days, Melvin Rhyne), a quartet, or a quintet, playing a mixture of hard-swinging uptempo jazz numbers and quiet ballads. The lone exception, Fusion, telegraphed his post-Riverside career: it was his first recording with a string ensemble. One of the more memorable sets involved a co-leadership collaboration with vibraphone virtuoso and Modern Jazz Quartet mainstay Milt Jackson, whom producer Orrin Keepnews has said insisted on a collaboration with Montgomery as a condition for signing a solo recording deal with Riverside.

In 1964 Montgomery moved to Verve Records for two years. His stay at Verve yielded a number of albums where he was featured with an orchestra---brass-dominated (Movin' Wes), string-oriented (Bumpin', Tequila), or a mix of both (Goin' Out of My Head, California Dreamin').^[1]

But he never abandoned jazz entirely in the Verve years, whether with a few selections on most of the Verve albums, or by such sets as 1965s Smokin' at the Half Note (showcasing two memorable appearances at the famous New York City club with the Wynton Kelly Trio) or a pair of albums he made with jazz organ titan Jimmy Smith, The Dynamic Duo and The Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes). He continued to play outstanding live jazz guitar, as evidenced by surviving audio and video recordings from his 1965 tour of Europe.

As a considered founder of the Smooth Jazz school the album "Bumpin'" (1965) represents a model from which many modern recording are derived: as the liner notes to the CD remaster issue note, after being unable to produce the desired results by the guitarist and orchestra playing together, arranger Don Sebesky suggested Montgomery record the chosen music with his chosen small group, after which Sebesky would write the orchestral charts based on what Montgomery's group had produced. Longer clips from all of the tracks on "Bumpin'" and other Wes Montgomery albums are found on Verve Records website.

By the time Montgomery released his first album for A&M Records, he had seemingly abandoned jazz entirely for the more lucrative pop market, though as in his Verve period he played his customary jazz in small group settings in live appearances. The three albums released during his A&M period (1967-68) feature orchestral renditions of famous pop songs ("Scarborough Fair," "I Say a Little Prayer for You," "Eleanor Rigby," etc.) with Montgomery reciting the melody with his guitar. These records were the most commercially successful of his career, but featured the least jazz improvisation.^{[citation needed]}

He didn't have very long to live to enjoy his commercial success, however; in 1968, he woke one morning, remarked to his wife that he "Didn't feel very well," and minutes later collapsed, dying of a heart attack within minutes. Montgomery's home town of Indianapolis has named a park in his honor. He is the grandfather of actor Anthony Montgomery.^[1]

Wes and Buddy, along with Richard Crabtree and Benny Barth, formed "The Mastersounds", and recorded "Jazz Showcase Introducing The Mastersounds" and a jazz version of "The King and I", both released by World Pacific Records. They first played together at Seattle, particularly working up the set for "The King and I", at a club called Dave's Fifth Avenue. The composers were so impressed by the jazz version of "The King & I" that they pre-released the score of "Flower Drum Song" to the quartet to allow simultaneous release with the sound track album.