Wes Montgomery – Full House (2xLP, 45RPM, 180g, Analogue Productions)

Wes Montgomery's Full House captures the guitarist live at Tsubo in Berkeley, California, on 25 June 1962, with a band strong enough to explain why this set still carries so much weight in his catalogue. Backed by the Wynton Kelly Trio - Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums - and joined by tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, Montgomery is heard in a club setting where his thumb-picked tone, octave lines and quicksilver phrasing can stretch out in real time.

What makes the album so satisfying is its range as much as its energy. The title track and the hard-driving "Blue 'N' Boogie" show how sharply this group could swing, while "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" reveals Montgomery's more lyrical, spacious side. "Cariba" adds another angle, leaning into a Latin-inflected groove that brings out the band's responsiveness and Griffin's bite. Rather than feeling like a blowing session with one obvious star, Full House plays like a conversation among first-rate musicians pushing each other forward.

Originally released on Riverside, it remains one of Montgomery's most celebrated recordings and one of his most approachable live albums: vivid, warm and full of momentum without ever losing finesse. This Analogue Productions edition makes clear why collectors keep returning to it, presenting a 1962 performance that feels intimate, loose and beautifully locked in.

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