CDs of the Day - "Buddy Montgomery: Ties of Love / So Why Not?"

CDs of the Day
Buddy Montgomery: "Ties of Love" (Landmark) 1986
Buddy Montgomery: "So Why Not?" (Landmark) 1988

Although out-of-print for many years, since producer Orrin Keepnews left Fantasy Records and took the whole catalog of his Landmark label with him, both "Ties of Love" and "So Why Not?" still can be found at Dusty Groove for only $4.99:
http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=wsgtczfcp7&ref=browse.php&refQ=kwfilter%3DBuddy%2BMontgomery%26amp%3Bincl_oos%3D1%26amp%3Bincl_cs%3D1&anchor=476381

And that's what they say about the albums:
"Ties of Love"
Great later work from this oft-overlooked member of the Montgomery Brothers -- vibist/pianist Buddy, who's recording here in a really warm west coast groove! The backings are sometimes large, almost in a Fantasy Records sort of mode -- a bit of electric instrumentation in the mix, but used sparingly -- and all recorded in ways that are never too slick or polished. Other players include David Newman on tenor, Claudio Roditi on trumpet, and Billy Higgins on drums -- and Marlena Shaw sings vocals on the tracks "All The Things You Are" and "Ties" -- the latter of which also features Eddie Harris on tenor, who plays a bit on a version of "Stablemates". Other tracks include "Muchismo", "Soft Earth", "Rose Marie", and "Expressions In Blue".

"So Why Not?"
Buddy Montgomery's always one of those players who brings a little something extra to a record -- and even on a late 80s set like this, he manages to make the session sound much better than you'd guess from the cover! Buddy plays vibes, piano, and keyboards -- and although there's a few electric points that show the date of the recording, they're also very quickly offset with a richness of feeling that balances things out beautifully -- so much so that we almost find ourselves liking the more electric moments better for Montgomery's approach. Other players include David Fathead Newman on tenor, Warren Gale on trumpet, Jim Nichols on guitar, and either Ron Carter or Jeff Chambers on bass, and Ralph Penland on drums. Some tracks have Latin percussion -- which is an added treat -- and titles include "So Why Not", "Waterfall", "Budini", "Out Of This World", "My Sentiments Exactly", and "Summer Nights". CD features the bonus track "My Little Brown Book".