The Wes Montgomery Trio – A Dynamic New Sound: Guitar/organ/drums (2xLP, 45RPM, 180g, Analogue Productions)

The Wes Montgomery Trio's A Dynamic New Sound: Guitar/Organ/Drums catches Wes at a crucial early moment: released in 1959, it was his debut for Riverside and one of the first clear statements of the guitar-organ-drums format that would become central to soul jazz. With Melvin Rhyne on Hammond B-3 and Paul Parker on drums, Montgomery works without a bassist or pianist, which gives the music an unusually open, agile feel and puts his thumb-picked attack, octave lines, and warm, rounded tone right at the centre.

Recorded at Reeves Sound Studio in New York and produced by Orrin Keepnews, the album is lean but never slight. Standards such as 'Round Midnight and Satin Doll sit naturally beside Montgomery originals like Jingles, showing how quickly his musical identity was already in place. The trio format also highlights the group's balance: Rhyne supplies both harmony and groove, Parker keeps the pulse light but firm, and Montgomery sounds melodic, precise, and conversational rather than crowded by a bigger band.

That combination makes this set especially rewarding as an origin point in Wes Montgomery's catalogue. Later Riverside sessions would broaden the frame, but this one lets you hear the architecture of his style in near-raw form: the economy, the blues feeling, and the relaxed swing that made his arrival feel so immediate.

Features

• 2xLP, 45RPM, 180g, Analogue Productions Fantasy 45 Series
• Mastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at Acoustech Mastering
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings
• Stoughton Old Style tip-on gatefold jacket with scuff-resistant matte finish

Genre: Jazz