1 Full House by Wes Montgomery

Legend has it that the gig was so packed they had to rig up more speakers to play out the window to all the people outside who couldn’t get in. Wes, Wynton, Griffin, Chambers and Cobb are all at the top of their respective games. Raucous and vibey. The audience are as much a part of this record as the band!

2 A Night at the Vanguard by Kenny Burrell

Kenny’s on the best form of his life here in 1964. His unique, bluesy and utterly swinging approach sits perfectly in this trio setting. I wish he’d have recorded more trio because he thrives in this environment. Roy Haynes’ sensational fours and eights are etched on the mind as much as Kenny’s glorious lines.

3 Live by Jim Hall

Jim is a true improviser and I reckon if this recording had been made on an alternative night it would have been completely different. Here he is in Toronto in 1975 with Ed Bickert’s regular rhythm section. It’s usually the other way around! Intense yet cool, spontaneous yet melodic, intelligent yet primal.

4 The Trip by Art Pepper

Not guitar, but couldn't leave this out! In 1976 Pepper’s no longer a surf kid. He’s living right on the edge with the lifestyle that would eventually kill him – but, for now, he has total control of his instrument and he has a lot to say. His elastic time feel is just jaw dropping and with Elvin on drums it’s the perfect match. ‘Red Car’ and ‘Junior Cat’ make you want to dance round the room while ‘The Summer Knows’ makes you want to just fall apart.

5 Virtuoso by Joe Pass

Apparently, Joe thought the studio were providing an amp and they thought he was bringing his own. So there’s no amp! Joe said himself that he went into this solo recording with ‘no plan’. You can almost hear him thinking on his feet and although he’s bristling with confidence with a seemingly endless stream of ideas pouring forth, this also manages to come across as a very intimate encounter with a total genius.

Nigel Price Organ Trio’s Wes – Reimagined is out now on Ubuntu Music. Read the review: Jazzwise Reviews Database

This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of Jazzwise. Never miss an issue – subscribe today