Unit 7

Wes Montgomery (electric guitar), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). From the album Smokin’ at the Half Note (1965).

When Wynton Kelly left Miles Davis’s group in 1963, he took Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb with him to form his own trio that soon toured the United States and recorded with the Verve label. A few months later the trio toured Japan and in 1965 toured the United States with Wes Montgomery, with whom it sounded best and recorded Smokin’ at the Half Note. The trio also recorded two albums with Joe Henderson: Four and Straight, No Chaser, in addition to supporting other musicians.

Cobb took care of the financial side and Kelly dealt with critics and journalists. The trio continued to play until 1969, when Chambers died. It was considered to be the most swinging of its time, but Kelly couldn’t separate from the role of sideman, as if the swing was as natural as breathing, which kept him away from the audience. Paul Chambers was one of the first double bassists to make solos with the bow in jazz, as well as being an inspired accompanist and an accomplished soloist, and Jimmy Cobb played the drums in a percussive and melodic manner, and his solos were not too long.

The theme is a bit peculiar, with change of rhythm on the bridge, played by Montgomery at medium tempo. The first one to make his solo is Kelly, whose lovely and eloquent phrases emanate optimism. Next comes Montgomery playing with good ideas and confidence. Then he starts to use octaves with convincing and expressive sentences, and finally plays chord blocks with an intense and inventive melodic line. At last, the group re-exposes the theme and Montgomery repeats the last phrase three times.