Fingerpickin'

Untitled

Fingerpickin' is the debut album by American jazz guitarist John "Wes" Montgomery, released in 1958 and comprising tracks from sessions in 1957 and 1958. Six of the ten tracks were originally released as The Montgomery Brothers and Five Others in 1957.

History

The majority of the album was recorded during a session in Indianapolis on December 30, 1957. From that session six songs were released as an album titled The Montgomery Brothers and Five Others. Three other tracks ("Stranger in Paradise", "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", and "Not Since Nineveh)" were recorded during a session in Los Angeles on April 22, 1958, and originally appeared on the album titled Kismet by The Mastersounds.

Montgomery 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 Records, was familiar with Montgomery and invited him to record. "Fingerpickin'" was a song contributed by Montgomery and is his only original composition on the album. The recordings were not particularly successful despite the talents of Montgomery and a young Freddie Hubbard, however, they enhanced his 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.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

In his Allmusic review, music critic Scott Yanow wrote "This CD reissues the complete album (which usually has appeared in piecemeal fashion) and finds Wes already quite recognizable. The pretty standard hard bop music... Although this reissue on a whole is not essential, the music is generally enjoyable and the CD will fill some gaps in one's Wes Montgomery collection."

Track listing

1. "Sound Carrier" (Buddy Montgomery) 6:57
2. "Bud's Beaux Arts" (Buddy Montgomery) 7:33
3. "Bock to Bock" (Buddy Montgomery) 10:08
4. "Billie's Bounce" (Charlie Parker) 4:42
5. "Lois Ann" (Buddy Montgomery) 4:45
6. "All the Things You Are" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) 3:59
7. "Fingerpickin'" (Wes Montgomery) 2:32
8. "Stranger in Paradise" (Alexander Borodin, George Forrest, Robert C. Wright) 4:55
9. "Baubles, Bangles & Beads" (Forrest, Wright) 3:29
10. "Not Since Nineveh" (Forrest, Wright) 7:24

Original release ("The Montgomery Brothers and Five Others") track listing

1. Sound Carrier 6:55
2. Lois Ann 4:44
3. Bud`s Beaux Arts 7:32
4. Bock To Bock 10:08
5. All The Things You Are 3:58
6. Billie`s Bounce 4:41

Releases

World Pacific PJ-1240 (original release)

Personnel

• Wes Montgomery – guitar
• Freddie Hubbard – trumpet (tracks 1-4)
• Waymon Atkinson – tenor saxophone (tracks 1-4)
• Alonzo "Pookie" Johnson – tenor saxophone (tracks 1-4)
• Buddy Montgomery – vibraphone (tracks 1-6, 8-10)
• Joe Bradley – piano (tracks 1-5, 7)
• Richard Crabtree – piano (tracks 8-10)
• Monk Montgomery – bass
• Paul Parker – drums (tracks 1-7)
• Benny Barth – drums (tracks 8-10)