Today's Jazz: June 6-8 & 26, 1967 @ Van Gelder Studio, New Jersey

June 6-8 & 26, 1967 “Windy”
by Wes Montgomery, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Grady Tate etc arranged by Don Sebesky at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for CTI (A Day in the Life)

About seven years after his album debut, jazz guitar master Wes Montgomery leaped into the mainstream of popular music. After establishing himself in the mainstream of jazz guitar, he began exploring new territory in jazz with the stylish CTI label, using his innate melodic sense and signature octave playing style backed by an orchestra to create pleasant, easy-listening performances, accompanied by iconic album covers.

It could be called a precursor to easy-listening music aimed at the general public, and as intended, it was widely accepted, reaching number 44 on the Billboard charts—an unusual feat for a jazz track. Much like the bossa nova work introduced on May 16, it has the feel of background music that might have been played during school lunch hours in the Showa era.

However, this was by no means a compromise. The high level of perfection is evident from the spirited combination of top-tier jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock, arrangements by master arranger Don Sebesky, and the recording by Rudy Van Gelder, who had moved his studio to accommodate orchestral sessions, capturing a total of 30 musicians. Despite being less than two and a half minutes long, it provides a sense of fulfillment that makes the short duration go unnoticed.

This project was a huge success, and while two sequels followed, it unfortunately came to an end with Wes's passing. Nevertheless, the territory Wes pioneered did not cease to exist; it paved the way for a new genre of jazz: fusion.

The progression, starting with Wes's grand guitar, followed by rhythmic percussion and drums, the addition of vibraphone to create a flow, and the orchestra entering as a background, as well as the subsequent arrangements and structure built around Wes's guitar, are all magnificent.

Here, I would like to focus on the percussion and drums that control the spice and pace from the very beginning. The drums are played by Grady Tate, who appeared on June 6. This lively performance feels more like his true self and blends naturally into the music. Although there are three percussionists, they are well-controlled, creating a pleasant rhythm without being intrusive.

I found a television clip of Wes from that time, so please take a look. What is impressive is that, even though it is a short song and a television program, he improvises fearlessly at key points after the main melody. The highlight is hearing him play melodies with a higher pitch and different ideas than the original recording, and the visual appeal lies in watching him manipulate his thick-bodied guitar with thumb picking and elegant fingerwork.

The original song is by The Association, a psychedelic pop band that hit number one on the Billboard charts the month after this recording. Since it was released on May 1st, just over a month before this recording, it is surprising not only to see his keen eye for song selection but also the speed from adoption to production. And the mention of "psychedelic" might be easier to understand if you consider the historical context that the Beatles released "Sgt. Pepper's" at almost the same time as this work. The title of this album is one of the tracks from that Sgt. Pepper's album, which he also quickly covered.

Returning to the topic, the original song also featured a full orchestral arrangement, and the backing band included West Coast jazz alto saxophonist Bud Shank. The fact that Wes's performance feels even more like a refreshing "breeze" is largely due to Sebesky's arrangement. The early summer atmosphere of the recording season is also wonderful.

CTI created its own unique style by adding the master arranger Don Sebesky to the classic lineup of Creed Taylor's shrewd production, Pete Turner's unique album covers, and Rudy Van Gelder's masterful recording. It rode the wave of the era, just as the Paul Mauriat Orchestra was hitting number one on the Billboard charts the following year, and went on to produce a string of hits.

If you are interested in the combination of Pete Turner and Van Gelder, please see the following as well. It was recorded about two weeks before this work. It is surprising that CTI was releasing masterpieces from the very beginning. Incidentally, this one was handled by a different arranger.

This is also an easy-listening work from about a year ago, involving Creed Taylor and Rudy Van Gelder, similar to this one. A certain pattern had already been established by this point. It is interesting to imagine what kind of photo Pete Turner would have taken for the album cover and what kind of impression it would have made.

If you are interested in Wes's guitar, please also listen to this, which features his classic jazz playing.

Finally, you can listen to a wildly different performance by drummer Grady Tate here.