Cashbox : 12/18/1965

The Wynton Kelly Trio, with the leader on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, along with outstanding jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery cut a wild scene at N.Y.’s Half Note Club and the sound is captured on these 5 tracks. The boys have a sound that swings like there is no tomorrow, but at the same time remains far enough in, so as not to loose the middle-of-the-road jazz buff. Give a special listen to the lead track, No Blues, a Miles Davis tune that the foursome does up to perfection.

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American Record Guide
Donald Heckman : April, 1966

Wes Montgomery, a far different but equally fine guitarist, appears on two recent releases (Smokin’ at the Half Note, Verve V-8633). The two dates provide an interesting comparison of the work produced by a straight-ahead jazz player in markedly different recording circumstances. On the first disc, Montgomery is playing (for some of the tracks) in one of the most relaxed jazz clubs in the country and is accompanied by the Wynton Kelly Trio, with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. On the second, he is backed by a large studio band playing Oliver Nelson arrangements. Not surprisingly, Montgomery plays with considerably more drive and inventiveness with the Kelly group. What they produce is a model of conservative but beautifully crafted modern jazz. The large group recording is another story. Nelson is one of the finest commercial jazz arrangers in the country, not only a master of the fine aspects of orchestration but also a writer who, unlike many others, never loses contact with the basic stuff of jazz. His arrangements are well suited for Montgomery and, in a couple of instances, seem really to set the guitarist loose (Twisted Blues and Naptmen Blues). But Montgomery appears nevertheless to be intimidated by the arrangements, to be too much aware of what is happening around him. In part this is caused by an almost continuing rhythmic discrepancy between him and drummer Grady Tate. The difference is a fine one, but produces just enough conflict in rhythmic emphasis to give Montgomery’s solos a peculiarly disjointed quality, as though he were playing at a slightly different tempo from the rest of the rhythm section.

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Atlantic City Press (Atlantic City, NJ)
Paul Burgess Jr. : 12/05/1965

Understanding the blues roots seems to be essential to turning out valid jazz performances. Today, when so many improvisers carry on without any underlying blues foundation to support their work, it’s a revelation to hear men such as Wynton Kelly and Wes Montgomery, two who never forget what they are about.

Both are heard on Verve-8633, a set titled Wynton Kelly Trio: Smokin’ at the Half Note, a disc that leaves no one in doubt as to whether it is jazz or not. The Kelly Trio, including regulars Paul Chambers, bass, and Jimmy Cobb, drums, is augmented to include Wes Montgomery, who happens to be, most probably, the greatest guitarist since
Charlie Christian. Leader Kelly plays piano.

Montgomery is a self-taught musician who disdains the pick in favor of a well-calloused thumb with which he assails his guitar with a savage intensity that all but shatters the instrument. He makes his guitar ring with every passion, blurting out acid-like statements that are left unfinished, fragmented, while new ones crowd them out in a fury of creativity. All six strings are made to rasp out harsh accusations, to be re-echo-ed an instant later by a single string, soaring.

His furious pace is abated somewhat on If You Could See Me Now, wherein his Janus side is revealed, displaying a great gift of drawing from ballad material, his own lovely themes, reflective and poetic. The mood is sustained on What’s New, with his octave style bringing to memory the gypsy stylings of Django Rheinhardt, one of Montgomery’s main influences.

Kelly gets off a fine solo on No Blues while bassist Paul Chambers uses his bow most effectively on Four On Six. Drummer Jimmy Cobb is to be commended for doing what all stick men should do: he quietly keeps the rhythm boiling until called upon for solo space, which he handles with authority. It’s a great record all the way.

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Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD)
John Goodspeed : 03/06/1966

John Leslie (Wes) Montgomery, a remarkable jazz guitarist, was “discovered” in his native Indianapolis about six years ago and is now hailed by magazine polls and some critics as the best in the field. Montgomery, a father of six children, was only a part-time musician in 1959, but he was self-taught virtuoso who plucks with his bare thumb (to the consternation of the guitar pick industry). He became celebrated in New York and elsewhere because he can “play block chords and octave things” that are “impossible” with conventional technique on the instrument; also because he is an admirer of the late Charlie Christian, an early martyr among the heroes of cool jazz whose genius as a guitarist is held to be debatable by other superior jazz guitarists—Charlie Byrd, of Washington, for example.

Montgomery’s latest work is heard on two new Verve albums Goin’ out of My Head and Smokin’ at the Half Note. The former is the superior package, even though Montgomery recorded it in a studio at Englewood Cliffs, N.J., backed by a big house band playing arrangements by Oliver Nelson, whereas his work with the Kelly trio was recorded on the spot, before “an appreciative audience” (which applauds lightly) at a fashionable jazz joint in New York.

Montgomery comes up with some (although not much) original melodic improvisation in What’s New?, and he swings a little over a nice six-beat bass piano figure on Four on Six in the Smokin’ at the Half Note album. Of the other numbers, though, No Blues (thirteen minutes long) is bad; If You Could See Me Now and Unit 7 are worse—mainly because Kelly intrudes again and again on piano with his awkward rhythms and (by now) timeworn melodic and harmonic cliches of cool jazz, on which he seems to be hooked beyond redemption.

Montgomery’s gift is not cool. He is primarily a “funky” (or “low-down” or “dirty”) guitarist. Nelson, a veteran studio conductor whose orchestrations elsewhere have been about as swinging as cottage cheese, displays. much more appreciation of the new discovery. In the nine numbers in Goin’ out of My Head—excepting a top-heavy Golden Earrings” and a tasteless Naptown Blues—the big band accompanies Montgomery, does not compete with him.

The title number incorporates a delightful, halting stop chorus (on the order of the one in Downtown, the popular song). O Morro is sadly Brazilian and funky (quite a compound). Chim Chim Cheree races along with true hot-jazz excitement. Twisted Blues is cool in feeling but almost dynamic (a feat). End of a Love Affair swings in 2/3 time (more so than Thelonious Monk usually does). And It Was a Good Year accentuates Montgomery’s distinctly American-Negro sound with just the right Spanish-guitar and oriental stringed-instrument effects.

In the liner notes, Orrin Keepnews suggests, then then wisely backs away from, the proposition that Wes Montgomery is the greatest guitarist in the history of jazz. He is certainly not that. Charlie Byrd is better, for example, and Lonnie Johnson was. And Montgomery is not very original. He draws heavily on phrases patented by Ray Charles and Monk. Once in a while, he simply runs through chromatic chord changes while he’s thinking ahead melodically. Once in a while, his naked thumb plucks a clinker. But he is a virtuoso—and he swings. You don’t find jazz guitarists in his class every morning.

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Berkeley Gazette (Berkeley, CA)
Nick Peters : 01/26/1966

Recorded at the famous New York night spot, this top-notch release features the great guitar of Wes Montgomery with pianist Kelly, drummer Jimmy Cobb and Bassist Paul Chambers. There are only five selections on the album (none under six minutes of playing time) and all are beautifully done. Miles Davis’ No Blues gets the session off to a good start with Montgomery stealing the spotlight while Kelly stops playing midway through the cut to gawk at Wes’ guitar artistry. Kelly has his turn on If You Could See Me Now, stretching out on a lengthy piano solo. Unit 7, a crisp up-tempo piece, leads off side 2 with Wynton and Wes collaborating magnificently for seven and one-half minutes of sheer joy. Montgomery, who plays without benefit of a pick, solos on his own composition, Four on Six, and the album draws to a close with a soft treatment of the classic, What’s New. If jazz guitar is your cup of tea, place this one on the must-buy list.

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Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, IN)
Nick Jones : 01/06/1966

Back in the good ol’ days — up to 10 years ago, maybe, with some recent exceptions like Dave Baker — Indianapolist used to turn out gobs of top musicians. This was in the happy time before this city picked up the dubious reputation of being one of that nation’s foremost twist, of all things, centers.

Two of the best to go on to higher callings were Wes and Monk Montgomery. Along with Benny Barth, also an Indianapolis native who has long since gone to the west coast, and Richie Crabtree, the Montgomerys played ofr a time out on the coast as the Mastersounds.

Since that time, Wes has appeared all over the U.S., including last summer’s Newport Jazz Festival. It was at the festival that Wes lent his guitar to the sound of the Wynton Kelly Trio, and the collaboration succeeded so well they decided to keep it up.

Smokin’ at the Half Note (Verve) was recorded at the Half Note Club in New York City and features five concert-length selections, one of them, Four on Six, an original composition by Wes.

Wynton Kelly, piano; Jimmy Cobb, drums, and Paul Chambers, bass — the Kelly trio — at one time made up
the rhythm section for Miles Davis. Kelly also has played with Lester Young, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie, to name some of the giants.

The 13-minute-long No Blues was written by Davis and features Montgomery’s guitar, followed by a change in mood to a contemplative If You Could See Me Now, written by Tadd Dameron.

Side 2 includes Unit 7, a composition by Sam Jones, bassist with the Adderley quintet; Wes’ number and old favorite What’s New. Wes Montgomery epitomizes the idea of home town boy makes good – but do they all have to leave?

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San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, CA)
Ralph J. Gleason : 12/05/1965

Guitarist Wes Montgomery is one of the most lyrical and swinging of jazz players and his
new album, Smokin’ at the Half Note (Verve V-8633) is a fine example of his style.

He appears on it with the Wynton Kelly Trio (pianist Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb) and the combination is utterly benign. This would make a good permanent unit. There are five tracks including two magnificent ballads, If You Could See Me Now and What’s New? No guitarist in jazz is the equal of Wes on either jazz ballads or in straight-ahead swinging. This is really a great album.

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Down Beat : 01/27/196
John S. Wilson : 4 stars

The addition of Montgomery to the Kelly trio has provided the guitarist with a strong and supple setting for his consistently enlivening work, and it has given the Kelly trio a kind of distinction it never achieved on its own.

Montgomery romps through this set, filling his solos with a fascinating variety of attacks and ideas. Kelly works with him excellently as an accompanist, but the pianist is in a distinctly subordinate role. His solos are in the blandly bouncing but relatively anonymous style in which he seems to play everything. Kelly does his best solo work on New, during which he digs in under the superficial level on which he works through most of the disc.

But Montgomery never lets down. He is, fortunately, out front most of the time, building solos in a seemingly casual fashion, yet developing and broadening them with every passing chorus. This is his record completely.

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Liner Notes by Chuck Taylor

In July, 1965, guitarist Wes Montgomery joined the Wynton Kelly Trio as an extra added attraction for the purpose of performing in the top jazz clubs and concert halls throughout the United States. One of their first performances together was at the Newport Jazz Festival where they received a standing ovation. It was then quite evident that the combination of Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio, featuring Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, would be well accepted by the jazz audiences throughout the country.

The name of Wes Montgomery is synonymous with jazz guitar. Wes has won a great many of the jazz polls in
Down Beat Magazine and also in Playboy’s annual Jazz Poll. Wes’ unique way of playing guitar with his thumb, instead of using a pick like most guitarists, has brought many comments from fans and critics alike. When Wes appears in a club, the local guitar players usually show up for “their lessons” and they all rave about the incredible Wes Montgomery. As it is well known, Wes’ favorite guitarist was the great Charlie Christian, who was the father of the modern-day guitarist. Wes is a self-taught musician and it is quite obvious that he was an excellent teacher and student.

Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers made up one of Miles Davis top rhythm sections a couple of years back. Wynton is undoubtedly one of the finest pianists in jazz today. He has played with some of the greatest musicians in jazz history such as Lester Young, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and, of course, Miles Davis. Wynton has grown tremendously in stature since he decided to form his own trio, and he was indeed fortunate to have been able to include Jimmy and Paul in his group, for as it is known, they were the foundation on which Miles Davis was able to build.

Paul Chambers, for many years, has been one of the leading bassists in the country. His phenomenal technique and ability to improvise both pizzicato and especially with the bow has won him more acclaim than any other young bassist around today.

The third member of the trio, Jimmy Cobb, needs no introduction to anyone who has followed jazz. His ability as a drummer is unquestionable. To list the top jazz musicians Jimmy has performed with would read like a “Who’s Who In Jazz.”

This album was recorded live at the Half Note Club in New York City before a very enthusiastic audience. The first tune, entitled No Blues, was written by Miles Davis. This tune was first recorded by Miles Davis, however, Wes Montgomery’s solo lends new excitement to the tune. As you will note, Wynton stops playing because he was so carried away with Wes’ solo that he turned around just to watch Wes. You would have to see Wes play in person to understand why Wynton was so carried away by Wes’ solo. Wes, in all his modesty, just beams with personality and I believe that you can feel that personality in his playing.

Just listen to the beautiful mood created by Wes and the trio on Tadd Dameron’s composition entitled If You Could See Me Now. Sometimes I can’t find the superlatives or adjectives to describe a beautiful musical experience, so just listen for I’m sure you’ll get the message.

Sam Jones, famed bassist with the Julian “Cannonball” Adderley Quintet, penned the next composition which he titled Unit 7. Wes once again demonstrates his fantastic ability as the country’s top jazz guitarist ably assisted by Wynton, Jimmy and Paul. Four On Six is an original composition written by Wes in which each member is able to stretch out a bit. The final tune in the album is the evergreen What’s New Here again, it is quite obvious that Wes and Wynton complement each other to a fantastic degree.

The teaming of four excellent musicians, performing before a very enthusiastic audience in one of New York’s top jazz clubs, could only produce some excellent results. I think this album is a good indication of what I mean.

Prior to writing the notes for this album, I ran into Jean “Toots” Thieleman, composer of Bluesette the now famous jazz standard, and I told him about this album which was just recorded. His comment was, “That session should have really burned.” Little did he know how right he was for it was really “Smokin’ … hence the title of this album. Wynton and Wes both are delighted to be on the stand with each other and within the group there is a great deal of respect for the musicianship of each of the men. I could go on and on talking about Wynton and Wes, but I feel it best that this album will speak for itself. So sit back, light up a cigarette and start ‘Smokin’.