The last few years have been especially kind to jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, whose career was brief but noteworthy, cut short by a heart attack in 1968 at the young age of 45. While his reputation as a noteworthy guitarist has never been in doubt, he seemingly slipped into obscurity. Thanks to the discovery of a handful of unheard recordings and performances, his star has been shining bright once again. The most recent of these releases is One Night In Indy, a nine-song live set recorded in January 1959 from when he sat in with the visiting Eddie Higgins Trio. As such, the set is a showcase more for Higgins’ talents, with Montgomery’s accentuating a setlist of jazz standards. No matter, though; both players are in fine form as they tackle such classics as Thelonious Monk’s “Ruby, My Dear,” Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To,” Duke Ellington’s “Prelude To A Kiss,” and Edgar Sampson’s “Stompin’ At The Savoy.” With a setlist that runs from uptempo and jaunty to slow and mellow, One Night In Indy may not necessarily be a revelatory set, but it is a fine recording of a master at play.
One Night In Indy is available now via Resonance Records
The Recoup 
Leave a Reply