The Montgomery Brothers

Buddy and Monk Montgomery joined their widely acclaimed sibling Wes in forming one of jazz’s most productive family ensembles, a unit that stood alongside the Heath brothers in output and longevity. The lineup featured pianist and vibraphonist Buddy, born in 1930 and active until 2009, bassist Monk, born in 1921 and active until 1982, and guitarist Wes, born in 1923 and active until 1968; together they appeared in two prominent ensembles as well as several lesser-known configurations. Monk became the first jazz artist to focus exclusively on the electric bass and to document the instrument on record, taking up the amplified model during an early-1950s engagement with Lionel Hampton’s orchestra. Buddy developed a deeply expressive yet under-recognized approach on both piano and vibraphone, proving equally persuasive across bebop, hard bop, blues, and soul-jazz settings.

The three siblings first collaborated in the mid-1950s Montgomery-Johnson Quintet alongside Alonzo Johnson and Robert Johnson, later reuniting as the Mastersounds between 1957 and 1960 and again as the Montgomery Brothers in 1960 and 1961. After those projects ended, Monk briefly returned to acoustic bass before resuming electric work in the mid-1960s during a stint with Cal Tjader. He relocated to Las Vegas in 1970 and performed with Red Norvo through 1972, subsequently serving as a radio host, founding the Las Vegas Jazz Society, and leading an African-American jazz ensemble on a mid-1970s visit to South Africa.

Buddy had already accompanied Slide Hampton’s group on piano in the early 1950s and worked in Roy Johnson’s quartet during 1954 before the Montgomery-Johnson Quintet took shape. Once the family bands dissolved, he continued splitting his time between piano and vibraphone until 1969, after which he concentrated solely on the keyboard. Remaining in Milwaukee, he performed regularly with local soul-jazz and bebop units and presented solo engagements. In the early 1980s he settled in Oakland, appearing throughout the Bay Area and touring with vocalist Marlena Shaw. In 1987 he produced the city’s inaugural jazz festival, presenting Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Junior Cook, and Hampton among its featured artists. He also began recording as a leader for Landmark during the 1980s and contributed the fifteenth volume to Concord’s acclaimed solo-piano series in 1992. Additional sessions under his own name appeared into the 2000s, while both brothers remain audible on CD reissues devoted to the Mastersounds and the Montgomery Brothers.