Four on Six For Life

A personal reflection on one of Wes Montgomery's most recognizable melodies

Although I would likely name Grant Green as my favorite swinging guitarist, I’ve always been fascinated with the sound and story of Wes Montgomery. As a maverick of our music, Montgomery was a late bloomer. He taught himself at home in Indianapolis, Indiana beginning at age nineteen picking the guitar with his thumb instead of a pic, at first, to keep the volume down while practicing at night. I marvel at the fact that he, his wife, and their eight children never left Indianapolis. His legend spread through an intense, U.S. touring schedule (Wes was a road warrior afraid to fly) backed by a successful recording career that yielded significant radio and Billboard successes.

As I matriculated as a bassist, some thirty years after Montgomery’s death, in the guitar town of Nashville, Tennessee, his tunes were often called by two of my most significant employers. Not only are Montgomery’s melodies etched in my mind, I’ve learned that many of his songs are great incubators for navigating slick harmonies while maintaining a deeply swinging groove.

If pressed to name my favorite Wes Montgomery original, I’d easily say “Four On Six” is the one. The origin and meaning of the song title are debatable, but I’ve always heard it related to four fingers on six (guitar) strings. It took me a second to hear that the tune is basically Wes’ original melody written over the chords of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” It is a nifty contrafact in disguise as it has an enhanced chordal structure and a memorable, driving bass figure that is simple enough for a focused novice to get under their fingers. I got it under mine as a nineteen-year-old beginning electric bassist which, as I mentioned, was the same age that Wes Montgomery began his musical discoveries.

Wes Montgomery on guitar flanked by his elder brother, Monk Montgomery, one of jazz music’s first swinging electric bassists.

”Four on Six” has stayed close through the years and has another point of significance for me in 2025. If you remove the preposition from the title, you’ll get my exact age as of February 17th: forty-six. I don’t mind sharing it. Although I was born at the tail end of Gen X, one person close to me describes my character as Silent Generation meshed with Millennial. I’m not too sure how all of that works out, but it feels like I’m finally at the right time and age in life to embrace all of that. (lol)

I’m also acknowledging that many of my musical heroes didn’t make it to middle age. I’ve now outlived many of them, including Wes Montgomery, who died at the age of forty-five. By all accounts, Wes was a hard-working family man who juggled day jobs and playing at night for many years (even into his early recording career.) He never had issues with drugs or alcohol, but was a smoker and had high blood pressure. It got him. It’s sobering to think about Wes, and I’ve pledged to get my health even more in control as I’m here on the West Coast. (I just got back on the basketball court today (2/21) for the first time in about eight years. Although I lost a game of PIG by one letter, I managed to stump my opponent with a reverse layup and again with a crucial three-pointer from the side corner of the court. I nearly answered his winning, half-court shot. As I was out of energy, I made a valiant attempt that barely grazed the rim.)

Before I head out tonight to catch guitarist Andrew Renfroe at Sam First Bar here in Los Angeles, here's Wes playing "Four On Six" in 1965 during his only tour of Europe.
Additionally, here’s a newly released live audio version recorded that same year at The Half Note club and originally recorded for radio broadcast on WABC- New York for Alan Grant’s live jazz show. It really burns. Lastly, here’s the master studio version from The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Riverside) and the equally familiar version from Smokin’ At The Half Note (Verve.) Four on six is for life. I though I’d leave you with something good to put your ears on. Thanks for continuing to tell your friends and fellow Substack folks about, The Vinyl Word. More soon.