"Goin' Wes" CD Review
by MATTHEW WARNOCK
Just Jazz Guitar - August 2006

Goin' Wes is the debut album for Los Angeles-based guitarist Ken Song. After graduating from USC in 1998 Ken has been perfecting his bebop and hard bop chops through performances in and around the LA area. His dedication to his craft and to the lineage of jazz guitar comes through with a world class performance on this album.

Ken's playing on this album will immediately be compared to Wes Montgomery's to whom this album is dedicated. It is quite obvious that Ken has spent many hours studying the jazz guitar legend and perfecting his harmonic and melodic techniques. What makes this album stand out against other "tribute" albums, though, is Ken's ability to add just enough of his own voice to the music and yet keep it within the tradition. This album also shows off Ken's versatility as a guitarist with great single-line playing on "In A Mellow Tone" and beautiful solo work on "Everything Happens to Me." There's great octave playing in "Look For The Silver Lining."

The band that Ken has chosen for this project is also world-class, with Llew Matthews on piano, Luther Hughes on bass and Paul Kreibich on drums. This band swings hard and is constantly playing off of each other. Of particular note is bassist Luther Hughes, who is not only stellar with his walking, but gives us some of the most memorable solos on the album, including his gorgeous solo on Miles Davis's "Vierd Blues."

Not only is Ken a great guitarist, but he is also a fine arranger, evident on every tune on Goin' Wes. Though the tunes on this album will be familiar to most jazz fans, with the exception of Djalma Ferreira's beautiful "Recado Bossa Nova" and Ken's original "Goin' Wes," Ken's arrangements breathe new life into these well-played standards. Of note is his intro to Charlie Parker's "Segment" and Wes Montgomery's "West Coast Blues."

I highly recommend this this album to anyone who is even remotely interested in the jazz guitar albums of the 1960s. Not only is it a wonderful tribute to a great master of jazz guitar, it also gives the listener a glimpse at the next generation of bop and hard bop players. With Goin' Wes, Ken has firmly planted himself into the realm of world class jazz guitarists and has left us in anticipation of what is to come.

RETURN TO NEWS/REVIEWS INDEX