Wes Montgomery's Finest Hour

1	Bumpin' on Sunset 4:52
2	The Shadow of Your Smile 2:19
3	Up and at It 4:16
4	Once I Loved (A.K.A. Favela) 4:47
5	Milestones 4:11
6	Movin' Wes, Pt. 1 3:31
7	Tequila 3:23
8	Watch What Happens 2:45
9	Bumpin' 6:52
10	Impressions 5:06
11	Goin' out of My Head 2:15
12	Sunny 4:05
13	A Day in the Life 5:54
14	Down Here on the Ground 3:47
15	Twisted Blues 4:17
16	Road Song 3:50

Barnes & Noble

Using his thumb rather than a pick on the strings, and playing melodic lines voiced in octaves, Wes Montgomery transformed the very sound of jazz guitar. His recordings on Verve also display just how funky a player Montgomery was. His playing on tracks like "Bumpin' on Sunset," "Road Song," "Tequila," and a host of others in this collection are the ultimate in finesse and soul. Montgomery's incredibly rhythmic and deeply expressive playing allowed him to overcome such debatable choice of material as the pop hits "A Day in the Life," "Sunny," and "Goin' Out of My Head." Give him a blues ("Bumpin," "Twisted Blues,") or a modal groover ("Milestones," "Impressions") and Montgomery goes to town. Backed by such heavyweights as drummer Grady Tate, pianist Herbie Hancock, and conga player Ray Barretto, Montgomery could rip it up in style and comfort. Contemporary guitar giants including George Benson, Lee Ritenour and Russell Malone, all revere Wes; here's 16 reasons why. William Pearl

All Music Guide

As part of the Finest Hour series from Verve, guitarist Wes Montgomery is spotlighted on 16 tracks recorded between 1964 and his death in 1968. These sessions highlight the widely accepted jazz-pop combination he achieved on these Verve and A&M releases, which followed a four-year stint on Riverside where he attracted a limited, mainly jazz audience. The guitarist employed a winning formula that combined his straight-ahead jazz style while exploring current trends in pop music that encompassed Latin, funk, and string-laden arrangements. The impressive coverage of guest musicians includes Herbie Hancock, Ray Barretto, Ron Carter, Jimmy Smith, and Clark Terry. Les Campbell