| Fusion! Wes Montgomery with Strings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1963 | |||
| Recorded | April 18–19, 1963 | |||
| Studio | Plaza Sound Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 42:39(reissue) | |||
| Label | Riverside | |||
| Producer | Orrin Keepnews | |||
| Wes Montgomery chronology | ||||
| ||||
Fusion!: Wes Montgomery with Strings is an album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1963.
Fusion was the first album Montgomery recorded with a string section. This would become more commonplace on his later releases on the Verve and A&M labels. [1] [2]
It has been reissued in the Original Jazz Classics series with additional alternate takes and all the tracks are also available on the Wes Montgomery compilation CD-set The Complete Riverside Recordings .
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [4] |
In his AllMusic review, music critic Scott Yanow praised the album: "As with his later albums, Montgomery's guitar solos here are brief and melodic but the jazz content is fairly high even if the emphasis is (with the exception of 'Tune Up') on ballads... worth picking up; the music is quite pretty and pleasing." [1]
Production notes:
Lady in Satin is an album by the jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is the penultimate album completed by the singer and last released in her lifetime. The original album was produced by Irving Townsend and engineered by Fred Plaut.
Bumpin' is an album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1965. It reached number 116 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was Montgomery's first album to reach the charts.
Charlie Parker with Strings is the name of two separate albums by jazz musician Charlie Parker, released in 1950 on Mercury Records. It is also the name of a 1995 compilation album released by Verve Records, containing all the tracks from both the 1950 albums, as well as additional material. The sessions place Parker in the context of a small classical string section and a jazz rhythm section, rather than his standard bebop quintet. They were Parker's most popular sellers during his lifetime, and were admitted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988.
Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve is a 1990 box-set by jazz musician Charlie Parker. It features every extant note Parker recorded for labels controlled by Norman Granz as well as his appearances at Jazz at the Philharmonic. Parker recorded for Granz primarily in the last five years of his life, a period during which, besides playing with his famous quintet, he experimented with strings, Afro-Cuban jazz and mixed chorus. Among the albums produced during Parker’s Verve years were Bird & Diz, Charlie Parker with Strings, and Swedish Schnapps.
First Light is an album by jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Recorded in 1971, it features string arrangements by Don Sebesky. It was his third album released on Creed Taylor's CTI label and features performances by Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Eric Gale, George Benson, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Richard Wyands. The album is part of a loose trilogy including his two previous records at the time, Red Clay and Straight Life. First Light won a 1972 Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Performance by a Group"
Fly with the Wind is a 1976 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his ninth to be released on the Milestone label. It was recorded in January 1976 and features performances by Tyner with a trio, woodwinds and a full string section.
California Dreaming is an album by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1966. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine jazz album chart and No. 4 on the R&B chart. It was reissued on CD in 2007 with an alternate take of "Sunny".
Movin' Along is an album by American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1960. It was reissued in the Original Jazz Classics series with two alternate takes. All the tracks are available in the Wes Montgomery compilation CD-set The Complete Riverside Recordings.
The Complete Riverside Recordings is a box set of American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery's early recordings on the Riverside label. It is a twelve-CD box set and was released in 1992. It contains 157 songs and includes 15 previously unissued performances, six re-edited versions of previously issued numbers and 29 alternate takes. The extensive liner notes by producer Orrin Keepnews and Jim Ferguson, session notes, and photographs. Keepnews and Ferguson received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Album Notes.
Portrait of Wes is an album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1966.
Tequila is an album recorded by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1966.
Work Song is an album by jazz cornetist Nat Adderley, recorded in January 1960 and released on the Riverside label. It features Adderley with Bobby Timmons, Wes Montgomery, Sam Jones, Percy Heath, Keter Betts and Louis Hayes in various combinations from a trio to a sextet, with the unusual sound of pizzicato cello to the fore on some tracks.
The Alternative Wes Montgomery is a compilation album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1982. It contains alternate takes from previous albums for Riverside. All the tracks are available on Wes Montgomery: The Complete Riverside Recordings.
A Day in the Life is an album by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1967. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 2 on the R&B chart. It also reached number 13 on the Billboard 200. The single "Windy" became his biggest Hot 100 hit, peaking at number forty-four.
Down Here on the Ground is an album by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1968. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 4 on the R&B chart. It also reached number 38 on the Billboard 200.
Road Song is an album by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1968. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 39 on the R&B chart. It also reached number 94 on the Billboard 200. It was his final recording before his death of a heart attack on June 15, 1968.
The Song Is June! is a 1958 album by June Christy recorded with Pete Rugolo's Orchestra. It was reissued in 1997 as a double CD with Off-Beat.
We Got a Good Thing Going is the thirteenth album led by the saxophonist Hank Crawford and his second release on the Kudu label.
The Hawk in Hi Fi is an album by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Billy Byers. It was recorded in early 1956 and released on the RCA Victor label.
Music for Loving is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ben Webster with tracks recorded in 1954 and released by Norgran in 1955. The album was reissued in 1957 by Verve as Sophisticated Lady. In 1996 Verve released a double CD compiling the album with another Norgran LP, Music with Feeling, and one by Harry Carney, Harry Carney with Strings which was first released by Clef.
