Several reference books give Wes Montgomery's RIverside debut, in particular The Incredible Guitar of Wes Montgomery, as his first quartet recordings, but they are mistaken. At that time he was already 35 years old and had probably been an outstanding player for decades, with bootleg recordings to prove it. One of the bonus tracks (featuring a 19-year-old Freddie Hubbard) on this essential album was recorded in 1957 in Indianapolis, where Wes was a local hero long before the touring Cannonball Adderley discovered him and ordered RIverside producer Orris Keepnews to check him out.

This would have been the group Keepnews heard, and one of the greatest family groups in jazz history. Wes, with his unique thumb-picked action, beautiful sound and gloriously soulful style, was signed immediately and rose swiftly to superstardom, but his two brothers were unfairly overlooked. As soon as Wes had enough clout he reunited them for this 1961 recording, and if Louis Armstrong has his pre-commercial Hot Fives then these are Wes' Hot Fours.

Brother Buddy's nimble keyboard touch and post-boppish ideas are well up to standard, as are brother Monk's propulsive bass lines, and drummer Bobby Thomas completes a crisply cohesive rhythm section. Volumes could be written about Wes' concept, and some of his greatest work is heard here, both in single-string and octave form. He had his pet clichés, but as with Charlie Parker, they were his own clichés. His solos on the Milt Jackson ballad ‘Heartstrings’ and the standard ‘Remember’ are particularly fine, but he's equally magisterial on inspired originals such as ‘Bock to Bock’, ‘Doujlie’ and the title track, all now jazz standards in their own right. There's not a dud track on this album. So don't hesitate, just buy it.