Fingerpickin'

Fingerpickin is a song written by John "Wes" Montgomery. It was recorded during a session in Indianapolis on December 30 1957. From that session 10 songs were released as an album titled Have Blues Will Travel. That album is now known as Fingerpickin.

Wes played in the session with a group called The Mastersounds which included two brothers of his, Buddy and Monk Montgomery. Dick Bock,a producer for Pacific Jazz, was familiar with Wes and invited him to record. Fingerpickin' was a song contributed by Wes and is his only original composition on the album. The recordings were not particularly successful despite the talents of Wes and a young Freddie Hubbard, however, they enhanced Montgomery's reputation especially amongst jazz guitarists. They are the first recordings of a musician who would later be hailed as one of only three real innovators in jazz guitar, as quoted by Joe Pass.

Track Listing

• 01. Sound Carrier (Buddy Montgomery) 6:57
• 02. Bud's Beaux Arts (Buddy Montgomery) 7:33
• 03. Bock to Bock (Buddy Montgomery) 10:08
• 04. Billie's Bounce (Charlie Parker) 4:42
• 05. Lois Ann (Buddy Montgomery) 4:45
• 06. All the Things You Are (Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II) 3:59
• 07. Fingerpickin' (Wes Montgomery) 2:32
• 08. Stranger in Paradise (Alexander Borodin/George Forrest/Robert C. Wright) 4:55
• 09. Baubles, Bangles and Beads (George Forrest/Robert C. Wright) 3:29
• 10. Not Since Nineveh (George Forrest/Robert C. Wright) 7:24

Personnel

• Wes Montgomery, Guitar
• Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet
• Waymon Atkinson, Saxophone
• "Pookie" Johnson, Saxophone
• Buddy Montgomery, Vibraphones
• Joe Bradley, Piano
• Monk Montgomery, Bass
• Paul Parker, Drums

Session Information

Recorded in Indianapolis Dec 1957 and Los Angeles in April 1958 for Pacific Jazz under the Capitol label (vogue LAE 12156)

References

• Ingram, Adrian. Wes Montgomery. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England: Ashley Mark Pub. Co., 1985