East to Wes
East to Wes is a studio album by jazz guitarist Emily Remler. She was accompanied by pianist Hank Jones, who had played on Firefly (1981) her first record, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.
| East to Wes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1988 | |||
| Recorded | May 1988 | |||
| Studio | Penny Lane Studios, New York | |||
| Genre | Jazz, hard bop | |||
| Length | 50:19 | |||
| Label | Concord Jazz | |||
| Producer | Carl E. Jefferson | |||
| Emily Remler chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [2] |
This recording was Remler's tribute to Wes Montgomery.[2] For the liner notes, Nat Hentoff wrote that Remler said about her composition "East to Wes" that it was an "impression of the earlier bossa nova stuff he did. Wes was one of the greater improvisers I ever heard. His feeling was happy, his soul was beautiful."[3]
Reception
For Allmusic reviewer Ken Dryden this is a highly recommended recording, considering that "The late guitarist's last CD to be released before her premature death is her finest effort".[1]
In the 7th edition of the Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, Richard Cook and Brian Morton wrote: "While conceived as a Montgomery homage, Remler's playing actually shows how unlike Wes she really was: harder of tone, her solos more fragmented yet equally lucid."[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Daahoud" (Clifford Brown) | 5:16 |
| 2. | "Snowfall" (Claude Thornhill) | 6:36 |
| 3. | "Hot House" (Tad Dameron) | 5:41 |
| 4. | "Sweet Georgie Fame" (Blossom Dearie - Sandra Harris) | 5:36 |
| 5. | "Ballad for a Music Box" (Emily Remler) | 7:22 |
| 6. | "Blues for Herb" (Emily Remler) | 6:24 |
| 7. | "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" (Sigmund Romberg - Oscar Hammerstein II) | 8:11 |
| 8. | "East to Wes" (Emily Remler) | 6:12 |
Personnel
- Emily Remler – electric guitar (all tracks), Ovation Adamas acoustic guitar (on track#2)
- Hank Jones – piano
- Buster Williams – bass
- Marvin Smith – drums
References
- Dryden, Ken. "East To Wes". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- Richard Cook and Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD (Penguin Books Ltd, England, (2004)[1992]: p.1356, ISBN 0-141-01416-4).
- Nat Hentoff (1988). East To Wes (booklet, page 5). Emily Remler. Concord Records. CCD-4356.