Montgomery, Wes: California Dreaming (Acoustic Sounds Series) [VERVE]

Why you'll love it

This Acoustic Sounds Series edition is remastered on 180g vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket. The album went to No. 1 on Billboard's jazz chart and No. 4 on the R&B chart.

This edition

• Acoustic Sounds Series
• Remastered
• 180g vinyl
• Gatefold jacket
• Stereo mix

About the album

Wes Montgomery could make a pop tune sound like it had been written for the guitar all along. In September 1966 he went into Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with producer Creed Taylor and a band of brass, woodwinds and rhythm, and turned the hits of the day into something smooth and glowing.

The title track takes the John and Michelle Phillips song and lays his trademark octaves over it, "Sunny" gives Bobby Hebb's hit the same warm treatment, and "Sun Down" and "Mr. Walker," both his own tunes, give him room to stretch out. "Winds Of Barcelona," "Green Peppers" and "More, More, Amor" bring a breezy Latin lift, and "South Of The Border" and "Oh You Crazy Moon" round it off. The horn section is stacked with New York session aces, among them trumpeters Bernie Glow and Jimmy Nottingham and trombonist Bill Watrous.

It was tailor-made for the AM radio of its day, and it sounds even better on a proper turntable. Put it on during a grey Toronto morning and it does exactly what the title promises, no flight required.

Also at Kops: more Wes Montgomery on vinyl · browse Classic Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Verve (cat# V6-8672), a reissue of the 1967 album.