Summertime

A legendary jazz guitarist whose influence can be heard in the work of countless others—including George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Pat Metheny, Grant Green, and more—Wes Montgomery was raised in a musical family and began his career with Lionel Hampton before forming a group with his brothers Buddy and Monk. Though he died at the young age of 45, he released some two dozen solo albums in a 10-year span, plus collaboration records with Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, and Milt Jackson. He enjoyed massive fame during the mid-'60s, moving away from hard bop and covering current pop songs, winning a pair of GRAMMY® Awards, and paving the way to what would eventually be called smooth jazz. First released in 1958 under the name Far Wes, this is his second solo album. Yet it already hints at the crossover styles to come, with relentlessly catchy and technically advanced guitar work shining on each track, alongside both his brothers (on bass and piano), sax players Pony Poindexter and Harold Land, and drummers Tony Bazley and Louis Hayes. This is a fantastic listen from a true icon.