Project G-7 - A Tribute To Wes Montgomery Volume II (1993)

The first of a two-volume set dedicated to the memory of guitar great Wes Montgomery offers an excellent stylistic contrast between those who were influenced by Montgomery's jazzy side and those who absorbed the lyrical/sentimental aspect. Kenny Burrell, Rodney Jones, and Ted Dunbar epitomize the slashing, hard-riffing approach, while Gene Gertoncini, Jack Wilkins, and William Ash are the romanticists, and Kevin Eubanks comes off somewhere in the middle. The differences in touch, phrasing, sound, mood, and pacing over the nine songs is fascinating; hearing the voicings between the interacting players and their adjustments to each other offers guitar fans in particular a rare chance to hear seven masters in operation on the same project.
The G-7 Project's second volume dedicated to guitar legend Wes Montgomery is more upbeat, soulful, and energetic than its predecessor. While things were divided equally last time between bluesy material and lush, sentimental fare, this time the date is skewed toward soul jazz, Afro-Latin, and jam session numbers. The guitarists are loose and comfortable and show their admiration for Montgomery with fluid, breezy licks and solos. Both of these volumes are reverential without losing sight of the fact that the greatest tribute that can be paid a musician is playing their material with the same spark and vitality they originally gave it.