Buddy Montgomery

Buddy Montgomery
Birth name	Charles Montgomery
Born	January 30, 1930(1930-01-30) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Died	May 14, 2009(2009-05-14) (aged 79) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Piano, vibraphone
Associated acts	Wes Montgomery, Slide Hampton, Big Joe Turner, Miles Davis, many others

Charles "Buddy" Montgomery (January 30, 1930, Indianapolis, Indiana - May 14, 2009) was an American jazz vibraphonist and pianist. He was the youngest brother of Wes and Monk Montgomery. He and brother, Monk, formed the "Mastersounds," in the late 50's and produced ten recordings. When the "Mastersounds" disbanded, Monk and Buddy joined their brother Wes on number of "Montgomery Brothers" recordings, which were arranged by Buddy. They toured together in 1968, and it was in the middle of that tour that Wes died. Buddy continued to compose, arrange, perform, produce, teach and record, producing nine recordings as a leader.^[1]

Biography

Buddy first played professionally in 1948; in 1949 he played with Big Joe Turner and soon afterwards with Slide Hampton. After a period in the Army, where he had his own quartet, he joined the Mastersounds as a vibraphonist with his brother Monk, pianist Richie Crabtree and drummer Benny Barth in 1957.^[2] He led the Montgomery-Johnson Quintet with Ray Johnson from 1955 and 1957. His earliest sessions as a leader are from the late 1950s. He played briefly with Miles Davis in 1960. In 1969 he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and taught jazz music locally. Early in the 1980s he moved to Oakland; there he released more solo material and played with the Riverside Reunion Band, Charlie Rouse, David Fathead Newman and Bobby Hutcherson.

Discography

As leader

• Swinging with the Mastersounds (Fantasy/OJC, 1960)
• A Date with the Mastersounds (Fantasy/OJC, 1961)
• The King And I (World Pacific Records, 1961)
• The Two-Sided Album (Milestone Records, 1968)
• This Rather Than That (Impulse!, 1969)
• Ties (Bean, 1977)
• Of Love (Storyville, 1986)
• Ties of Love (Landmark Records, 1986)
• So Why Not? (Landmark, 1988)
• Live at Maybeck Recital Hall (Concord Jazz, 1991)
• Here Again (Sharp Nine, 1997)
• Icebreaker (Staalplaat, 2001)
• A Love Affair in Paris (Space Time, 2002)
• A Day in the Life (Pony Canyon, 2006)

As sideman

• Bobby Hutcherson: Cruisin' the Bird (Landmark, 1988)
• George Shearing with the Montgomery Brothers: A Date with the Montgomery Brothers
• Wes Montgomery: Wes & Friends (Milestone, 1961)
• Charlie Rouse: Epistrophy (Landmark, 1988)
• David Fathead Newman: Blue Head Live, with Clifford Jordan (1990) Candid Records 70941
• Colleen McNabb: "Don't go to strangers" (Zuccarecords, 2009)

References

1. ^ Buddy Montgomery at Allmusic
2. ^ Allmusic mastersounds

Persondata
Name	Montgomery, Buddy
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 30, 1930
Place of birth
Date of death	May 14, 2009
Place of death