Wes Montgomery

Movin’ Along (Riverside 9342) finds Wes Montgomery sharing the front-line with flutist and saxophonist James Clay, backed by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet rhythm section of the day: Victor Feldman on piano (who had replaced Bobby Timmons after a short stint by Barry Harris), Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. “This is Montgomery’s session”, wrote John A. Tynan on Down Beat, “and the opening solos fall to him. A compelling guitarist, he motivates a drive unleavened by essentially melodic ideas. His tone is solid, sure, and large, radiating self-assurance in what he wants to do. He switches to bass guitar on ‘Tune-Up’, ‘Sandu’, and ‘Body’. One delight in this album worth noting is Feldman’s deeply grooving solo on the up-tempoed ‘Body’. Here the onetime Cannonball Adderley rhythm section is at its best.” The complete Wes Montgomery-Nat Adderley LP Work Song (Riverside Records RLP 12-318) has been added as a bonus.