1961 · Album
Incredible Jazz Guitar
Recorded 1961 · Riverside Records · Produced by Orrin Keepnews
The Thumb That Changed Everything
Wes Montgomery's octave technique made the guitar sound like it had never sounded before.
When Wes Montgomery recorded Incredible Jazz Guitar (1961), he was already known among musicians for something nobody else was doing—playing jazz guitar in octaves, using his thumb instead of a pick. But this album is where that sound stopped being a curiosity and became undeniable proof that he was reshaping what the instrument could do. The octaves give everything a warmth and thickness that single-note playing just doesn't have. It's rich without being heavy, and it lets Wes play melodies that feel almost vocal, almost like he's singing two lines at once.
The band here includes Wynton Kelly on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums—solid, swinging players who know how to lock in with him. Wes tears through standards like "D and E" and "Four on Six," but what matters most is that he sounds relaxed and in complete control. He's not showing off. He's just playing music that feels inevitable, like this was always the way it was supposed to sound. The rhythm section stays out of his way, giving him room to breathe, and he uses that space smartly. By this point in his career, Wes had moved well beyond his early work, and this is closer to his peak—he's figured out exactly who he is as a player.
This isn't a debut, and it's not his most famous record. But if you want to understand why Wes Montgomery matters, why people still talk about him, start here. It's direct, it swings hard, and it makes you understand immediately why every jazz guitarist since has had to deal with what he figured out.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Wes Montgomery
The Incredible Jazz Guitar 1960
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery 1960
Full House 1962
Boss Guitar 1963
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
