MOG

Montgomery, Davis sidemen cookin on a summer night in Berkeley.

Reissue are a funny lot. One one hand, useless but to true fans and obsessive audiophiles, on the other, careful high quality reconstructions of an artists labor. Either way, they're not for everyone. While many people see them as a way for the record companies to bilk every last penny out of an artists catalog, there are some truly worth a reinvestment. Such is the case with _Full House_, actually a reissue of a reissue of a 1987 album which chronicles a 25 June, 1962 set at Tsuba's, a Berkeley jazz club. This, the latest in a series of reissues by Orin Keepnews finds Montgomery in a tight blues influenced groove backed with some of the great sidemen of the day. Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb were the rhythm section in the first great quintet headed by Miles Davis, they had played on Kind of Blue, but by 1962, Miles was again in transition, his musicians were in flux, and the three found themselves here backing Montgomery, then a still relative up and comer in the jazz world, with only a few quality titles under his belt. On this night, though,Montgomery picked it like an old pro, leading the group through tight Jazz, Blues, and Latin influenced numbers. Not forgetful of the ballads, his reading of _I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face_ stands in soft contrast to the other heated bop numbers played here this night. True a hard bop was the mood for the night. The rhythm section here jams it, and Montgomery plays right in step, he matches sax player Johnny Griffin note for note much of the time, while leading around pianist Wynton Kelly like an old friend. The quick samba of _Cariba_ stands well on it's own, and the slow walk of _Born to be Blue_ closes out this fine set. Wes Montgomery would soon be steering his recording career in the direction of the pop of the day and orchestral ballads, leaving behind his jazzy, blues joint days. Musical statements such as the one made in this set would be increasingly few for the guitarist. Which brings us to the "art" of the reissue. Orrin Keepnews, has procured the re release of several classic albums he produced over the years. Besides Montgomery, who was given his first recording deal by Keepnews, the series includes reissues of sessions cut by the likes of Monk, Adderley and Joe Henderson. This series showcases 24 bit remasters direct from the master tapes, as well as alternate takes of existing tracks, and expanded liner notes bordering on the long winded (audiophiles only?). In all, the improved sound quality is a quantum leap from these dated original recordings. You can hear the rhythm section clicking together like never before, Cobb taps his hi-hat and it sounds so close you could touch it. When Montgomery plucks the strings, you can almost feel his thumb snap against the string. The new packaging and insight from the producer himself breathes new life into some long forgotten older jazz classics not easily accessed by newer, younger fans of the genre. In this case, the reissue is user friendly to both the jazz greenhorn as it is revealing and educational to the seasoned listener. A very worthy reissue indeed.