Search - Wes Montgomery :: In the Beginning [2 CD]

In the Beginning features recordings of Wes Montgomery spanning the years from 1949 to 1958, the formative years when the six-string virtuoso was honing his craft in Southern Indiana. Since Wes Montgomery's passing in 1968, only two other albums of predominantly unreleased material have been released Willow Weep For Me (Verve 1968) and Echoes of Indiana Avenue (Resonance 2012). Resonance Records is pleased to introduce the third such archival offering with In the Beginning.

The project began life in the wake of Echoes of Indiana Avenue. Even before that release, Buddy Montgomery's widow Ann approached Feldman and Resonance founder George Klabin with the Turf Club, Missile Lounge, and jam session recordings, looking for a respectful home for this never-released music. Philip Kahl, a 22 year old Butler College student had access to the brothers and recorded them at the before mentioned places with a portable tape recorder. 'In the Beginning started out early as a project exclusively focusing on the recordings received from Ann & Buddy Montgomery and evolved into an early years collection. There hasn't been a release like this in Wes's discography until now', says producer Zev Feldman.

The 26-track collection will be available as 2-CD and 3-LP sets. These newly discovered live & studio recordings from 1949-1958, include a complete never-before-released 1955 Epic Records session produced by Quincy Jones, licensed from Sony Music Entertainment, newly discovered 78 RPM sides with Wes as a sideman recorded for Spire Records (1949), a live recording from the home of Ervena Montgomery, Indianapolis (1956), live recordings from the Turf Club (1956), the Missile Lounge (1958) in Indianapolis, and the C&C Music Lounge in Chicago (1957).

The CD version includes a 55-page booklet of liner notes by journalist & noted jazz historian & biographer Ashley Kahn, legendary producer, Quincy Jones, guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who & others, alongside rare never-before-published photos from the Montgomery Estate and friends in Montgomery's native Indianapolis. The LP version is presented on 180-gram vinyl mastered by engineering legend, Bernie Grundman, & pressed on 12inch LPs at 33 1/3 RPM by Record Technology Incorporated (R.T.I.) in a hand-numbered slipcase with an 8-panel booklet, a digital download card and collector postcards of unpublished photos. In the Beginning features extensive liner notes, and meticulously designed artwork that have become the label's trademarks. The release is attractively designed by Burton Yount. This release is made possible with the help of Robert Montgomery, Wes's youngest son, and the head of the Wes Montgomery Estate who signed on as associate producer for the project. Feldman says, 'This is another chapter of previously undiscovered Wes, one which aficionados couldn't have even hoped existed a few short years ago. Resonance is proud to present another chapter in the legacy of Wes Montgomery.'

'I ve always had this thing where I can hear greatness sometimes even before the musicians themselves know they have it.... In 55, Wes was so green, but you can hear he already had that distinctive sound.' - Quincy Jones

'There's another idea that seems to thrive in the jazz world the belief that talent in the bud is best left on the vine to grow lest it be plucked and recorded too early. Whether or not Montgomery was ready for the national spotlight before 1959 is a question that can in fact be answered by the singular performances featured on In the Beginning.' - Ashley Kahn