Although serious fans and collectors will have little use for the disc,
Ultimate Wes Montgomery is a solid collection of 12 highlights from the guitarist's Verve recordings as selected by
George Benson. For the curious neophyte, the disc offers a good overview of
Montgomery's time at the label, featuring the guitarist in a variety of different settings, including combos with
Wynton Kelly,
Oliver Nelson and
Jimmy Smith. Certainly, the disc should be thought of as an introduction, not the final word, but on that level it works very well. Among the featured numbers are "Baby, It's Cold Outside," "Caravan," "West Coast Blues," "'Round Midnight," "Mi Cosa" and "Four on Six." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine