Guitarist Nelson Riveros comes up with the logical and brilliant idea of taking the tunes and attitude of the iconic Wes Montgomery and adding a Latin flavor to his works. It’s not a leap into the dark, as Wes included the Latin sound on a number of his pieces, but Riveros keeps the music on the same flavor throughout with Hector Martignon/p, Andy McKee/b, Mark Walker/dr and Jonathan Gomez/perc. He includes a couple of his on Montgomery-inspired pieces such as the bluesy “Facing Wes”, with a hip bass solo provided by McKee, and the percussively percolating “Nelson’s Groove.”
The take of “West Coast Blues” has a rich exotic flavor, while there’s a traditional Brazilian folk beat to the clever read of “Four On Six”. “Road Song” is layered with salsa, and the solo acoustic read of “Leila” is fragrant and fragile. Riveros’ guitar work gives homage to Montgomery, but is not imitative, a difficult balance that is walked well. This one’s a joy!