Wes Montgomery’s first of three albums for A&M, A Day in the Life from 1967, is a fascinating intersection between pop and jazz, considerably elevated by the guitar legend’s virtuosic style. The title track is a fresh take on The Beatles’ song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (released that same year). It opens with a small jazz combo and develops into an orchestral section. The song is not instantly recognizable and that may have something to do with the fact that, allegedly, Montgomery had never heard the Fab Four’s original version before recording his own.
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