Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes

It was the destiny of Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery to be musical brothers, so it’s no surprise that they created a sequel to their first duet album, The Dynamic Duo. Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes has a slight edge on its predecessor, if only because it offers a more diverse selection of material. The inclusion of “King of the Road” and the driving “O.G.D. (Road Song)” is enough to give the impression that the album is about traveling, at least implicitly. There is undoubtedly a kinetic, forward-moving energy to the interplay between Smith and Montgomery. In spite of their restrained tone—or perhaps because of it — their symbiotic lines fuel a miniature motor that drives every one of these songs. A brassy interpretation of Miles Davis’ “Milestones” is the odd duck here. The majority of the album is blue-flame percolation at its finest, with “Maybe September” and “Mellow Mood” as the hypnotic standouts. The music never breaks its trancelike state, even as Montgomery peels from his frets acrobatic melodies that spring forth and evaporate like trails of colored light.