Eulogy

AMG Review of Eulogy

Ken Dryden
All Music Guide

Following Wes Montgomery's unexpected death from a heart attack in 1968, Verve put together this compilation LP, though the music within it hardly compares with his far superior sessions for Riverside. Four different arrangers provided the charts for the nine tracks on this album, recorded between 1964 and 1966 over seven separate sessions. The arrangements of Oliver Nelson and Don Sebesky have stood the test of time far better than those of Johnny Pate or Claus Ogerman, though Montgomery manages to shine on most selections, especially in his own compositions "Sun Down" (which features an extended solo by Herbie Hancock as well) and the up-tempo "Tear It Down." Pate's limp chart of Billy Taylor's "Theodora" is particularly disappointing. It almost seems criminal to have superb players like Phil Woods, Clark Terry, and Ernie Royal present on some of the dates and relegating them to the background. Fans of Wes Montgomery would be better off looking for the original records on which the superior tracks first appeared.