Wes Montgomery: California Dreaming (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) (180 g) (LP)

"California Dreaming," recorded in September 1966, was the last album Wes Montgomery (1923–1968) released on Verve during his lifetime. Ever since he was signed to the label by producer Creed Taylor in 1964, the guitarist had been moving further and further away from pure jazz toward pop—and “California Dreaming” was no exception. Although the album opened with a current pop hit and featured Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny” as well as three tracks from the repertoire of the then-popular band Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass, Montgomery found ample opportunity to showcase his characteristic, octave-driven guitar style. As a result, Wes Montgomery’s “California Dreaming” not only reached No. 4 on the R&B album charts but also topped Billboard’s jazz album charts for the first time. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series: fully analog mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original tapes, QPR pressing (180g), sturdy tip-on gatefold sleeve (Stoughton Printing), padded inner sleeve