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grant green vs wes montgomery

kalakala 3,361 Posts
edited June 2012 in Strut Central
i can't put one over the other
it's a true tie

  Comments

  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    I gotta go with Grant...he never played chords, aside for simple vamps during his funky stuff...but in the early 60s Blue Note stuff he stuck out because he played it like a horn and never got redundant...he jammed his ass off just as hard as any horn player.

    I like Wes, but the chunky, too-rich chord stuff can sound a little overbearing and boring to me sometimes. I dig his Riverside stuff the best.
  • fountain16fountain16 93 Posts
    as i am in st.louis i may be partial to a hometown product like grant green.that said they are both equals in my book.wes was king of the 5ths while grant was lord of the single string "churchy" runs. doesn't get much better than "Sookie Sookie" and "Mellow Mood" w jimmy&wes;.
  • esskayesskay 221 Posts
    Please include the very alive & well Kenny Burrell! I did a concert with him here maybe 5 years ago & he still has it-close to 60 years of playing-RESPECT!
  • tokyobeatstokyobeats 505 Posts
    apples and oranges.

    In this case, I prefer the green apple.
  • OligeeOligee 289 Posts
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    For whatever reason, I've always preferred Green over Montgomery, myself.

    Although I get the impression that if you posed this question on a jazz message board, Montgomery would come out in the lead.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    For whatever reason, I've always preferred Green over Montgomery, myself.

    Although I get the impression that if you posed this question on a jazz message board, Montgomery would come out in the lead.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    It's all about George.
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    Grant over pretty much anyone
  • staxwaxstaxwax 1,474 Posts
    Grant Green all day

  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    i prefer grant green's records but i have no doubt that wes was the superior player in terms of chops, technique and influence on other players...
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I can't say who had the chops or technique, but Montgomery is way more influential.

    Montgomery was more original? Innovative?
    He came up with a style that changed the direction of jazz guitar.

    My impression of Grant is that he brought jazz melodic and harmonic ideas to a blues style of playing...

    Think I would rather listen to Green, but I wont stop listening to Montgomery.
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    favorite track from my favorite GG LP...dude swings his ass off. James Spaulding and Joe Henderson aren't too shabby either ;)
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    ^^Solid was the first Grant Green album I ever bought around '95. Great stuff.

    I Wish Grant had been more influential, unfortunately Jazz heads scorned his style. Melvin Sparks comes closest I think. If I'm not mistaken GG only picked in one direction, which really influenced his phrasing and made him totally unique. If there are any really proficient guitarists on the board I'd love your take on his sound. Love the man to death, he along with Curtis and Gil S H, is one of the few artists I buy anything I find.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    i prefer grant green's records but i have no doubt that wes was the superior player in terms of chops, technique and influence on other players...

    Montgomery had the chops but Green had the MUSIC, so I'm going with Green.

    I started to say that this was my soul/blues bias talking, but then it hit me that Montgomery was loved in soul/blues circles himself. Nevertheless, even on the earlier records, before he went "pop" on those Creed Taylor productions, Montgomery never moved me like Green does.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    I love some of the early Wes records, but he never made anything as deep as Street Of Dreams, Green Street, Idle Moments or the quartet sessions w/ Sonny Clark.

    As far as his sound, it was largely the product of using the thickest strings he could get and an extra stiff pick (ayo) as well as maxing the mids on his amp.

    Also, Green was hugely influential in his prime (early to mid 60's) ask George Benson. But his approach was so singular that it was hard for other guitarists to incorporate without being totally derivative.
  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    Game, Set, Match

  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    I love some of the early Wes records, but he never made anything as deep as Street Of Dreams, Green Street, Idle Moments or the quartet sessions w/ Sonny Clark.

    As far as his sound, it was largely the product of using the thickest strings he could get and an extra stiff pick (ayo) as well as maxing the mids on his amp.

    Yeah, in his bio it said his sound came from a Gibson amp with the highs and lows completely cut out and the mid jacked all the way up.
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    Horseleech said:

    Also, Green was hugely influential in his prime (early to mid 60's) ask George Benson.

    i thought GB was an avowed WM disciple...not saying GG didn't influence him but GB worshipped at the allter of WM.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    Horseleech said:

    Also, Green was hugely influential in his prime (early to mid 60's) ask George Benson.

    i thought GB was an avowed WM disciple...not saying GG didn't influence him but GB worshipped at the allter of WM.

    He usually lists Django as his main influence, followed by Hank Garland. Benson actually met Wes Montgomery for the first time when both went to a Grant Green gig and each admitted that they were there to pick up some chops.
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    DrWu said:
    Game, Set, Match


    never heard this, fantastic. Imagine seeing that shit live? Too bad Sonny OD'd at 31, dude could swing.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    He has to be back picking on some of those runs.

    He hits the notes hard, which sounds like down picks, but some of those runs must have downupdownup.
    That's what I hear.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    LoopDreams said:
    DrWu said:
    Game, Set, Match


    never heard this, fantastic. Imagine seeing that shit live? Too bad Sonny OD'd at 31, dude could swing.

    The 2CD set of the Grant Green/Sonny Clark Quartets is one of the best Jazz CD sets I own - I've listened to it on repeat several times in the last few months.

    http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Quartets-With-Sonny-Clark/dp/B000005H9T
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