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Continued from Part One<\/a>…<\/em><\/p>\n At right: Recording rehearsal. David Baker, David Young, Dr. Larry Ridley, Wes Montgomery. Photograph by Duncan Schiedt.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And still there’s more: shortly before his 2014 passing, famed Indianapolis photojournalist Duncan Schiedt<\/strong> contacted Resonance’s Zev Feldman<\/strong> to share news that he had a 1959 recording of Wes Montgomery<\/strong><\/a> with the Eddie Higgins Trio<\/strong>. That recording dates from \u201cjust before Wes was signed to Riverside,\u201d Feldman says, clearly excited at the prospect of yet more rare and vintage Montgomery. Plans are in development to release those sessions later this year. \u201cand there’s other<\/em> stuff out there, too,\u201d beams Feldman. \u201cResonance Records is turning into ‘the house that Montgomery built,’ and we’re really grateful to the family; they’ve been very kind and supportive. Especially Robert Montgomery<\/strong>, Wes’ son.\u201d<\/p>\n The In the Beginning<\/em> set features more than just those seventeen tracks. \u201cBased on a tip, we discovered a recording session that was in the Sony music archives; Sony didn’t even know about it.\u201d That 1955 session featured five tracks produced by Quincy Jones<\/strong>, likely for use as a demo.<\/p>\n The album offers up even more rarities. A 1957 recording from the C&C Music Lounge in Chicago documents an extended workout of Jerome Kern<\/strong>‘s \u201cAll The Things You Are,\u201d and features fiery fretwork from the guitarist. \u201cI communicate with a lot of jazz fans,\u201d Feldman says. \u201cSometimes those people are tape collectors. I had told this gentleman that I know about the Wes Montgomery project I was working on. And he said to me, ‘Hey, I’ve got a tape. It’s only one track, and it’s from a long time ago.’ He made me swear up and down \u2013 and his attorney, too, for that matter! \u2013 that I would never reveal his name. And I’ve respect that, because we knew this was an important recording.\u201d Feldman gives great credit to Resonance owner George Klabin<\/strong> for providing the resources for Feldman to go on the hunt for these rare recordings.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project started as the Philip Kahl recordings,\u201d observes Feldman.\u201d But it evolved into this early years anthology.\u201d Whenever he thought he’d unearthed all there was to find, he says he’d ask, \u201cWhat else is there!?\u201d<\/p>\n At left: “King Trotter,” Original 78 RPM Record. Courtesy of Jacques Morgantini.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n That approach yielded yet another<\/em> set of rare Montgomery recordings to round out the 2CD set. Three tracks cut in 1949 at Spire Records in Fresno CA display Montgomery and band seething with musical energy. \u201cKing Trotter\u201d may be the earliest recording of Montgomery taking a solo. Another highlight of those tapes is \u201cSmooth Evening,\u201d during which Montgomery duplicates Sonny Parker<\/strong>‘s scat vocal. The original records are so rare that United States Library of Congress doesn’t even have copies.<\/p>\n As important and wonderful as the music is, a big part of what makes In the Beginning<\/em> such a special package is the treasure trove of images, essays and interviews. Feldman even managed to get Montgomery fan Pete Townshend<\/strong><\/a> to pen an essay for the booklet. \u201cI grew up listening to rock music like The Who<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d Feldman recalls. \u201cMy parents played jazz in the house. It was really about musicianship, and soloing, and the expression of ideas. And I had always been in awe of Pete Townshend’s guitar style; he reminds me of a jazz musician.\u201d Feldman enjoyed a Townshend collection released back in 1983, a 2LP set called Scoop<\/em>. That record included a jazzy instrumental titled \u201cFor Barney Kessel<\/strong>.\u201d \u201cSo,\u201d recalls Feldman, \u201cI thought, ‘I don’t know for sure, but I’ll bet Pete is a fan of Wes Montgomery, too.\u201d He reached out to Townshend, who was glad to write the essay for In the Beginning<\/em> in which he relates the story of listening with his dad to an early Montgomery stereo pressing.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/wes_montgomery6.jpg\")
<\/center>The Montgomery-Johnson Quintet at The Turf Club, Indianapolis. L to R: Sonny Johnson, Monk Montgomery (hidden), Pookie Johnson, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Montgomery. The Turf Club, Indianapolis, circa mid-1950s. Photograph by Philip Kahl. Courtesy of the Buddy Montgomery estate.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/wes_montgomery_trotter.jpg\")
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