Classic interview * Wes Montgomery * 1973. (Encore).

JAZZ CRITIC RALPH Gleason called Wes Montgomery the most influential guitarist since Charlie Christian. Gleason interviewed Wes in 1960, but the transcript remained unpublished until Guitar Player's July 1973 issue. The cover photo is the coolest: Wes on a tall wooden stool, dark suit, tab-collar shirt, skinny black tie, French cuffs, gold watch, thumbin' a gorgeous gold-plated sunburst Gibson L-5 with beautifully yellowed binding, the epitome of hipness and class.

How did you get interested in guitar?

Charlie Christian. There was no way out. That cat tore everybody's head up. "Solo Flight" was the first record of his I heard. Boy, that was too much! He was it for me.

You taught yourself to play?

Yeah, with Christian's records. I knew that everything done on his guitar could be done on mine, because I had a 6-string, so I was just determined that I would do it. In my first gigs,) played Charlie Christian solos. I got pretty good and went on the road. We starved. I didn't realize you'd have a gig in Kansas City, then Florida. Thousand miles a night. That was rough, man.