THE CROSSROADS Wes Montgomery

In this month’s Crossroads, John Wheatcroft explores the powerful potential of adding octaves to your lines, with more than a little help from the master, Wes Montgomery.

We all have Wes Montgomery to thank for popularising one of the most beautiful and iconic sounds in jazz and more besides. Arranging intelligent and hip melodic lines doubled in octaves, perhaps brushed with the thumb, creates such a romantic and expressive sound that you’ll undoubtedly want to add this to your repertoire of improvisational and compositional ideas. You’ll be joining a huge club that includes such illustrious members as Django Reinhardt, Wes, Kenny Burrell, George Benson, Jimi Hendrix, SRV and many more. For what is essentially such a simple device, the sonic rewards are huge, giving you access to an almost three-dimensional bold and secure sonic idea that gives your sound projection, drive and sophistication.

Simply put, Wes Montgomery was a monumentally significant jazz musician and one of the most unique and talented guitar players the world has ever seen. Pat Metheny considers Wes’s Smokin’ At The Half Note to be the best jazz guitar album of all time and he’s far from alone in considering the impact this colossal player had on the guitar community, and the jazz world in general.