Tequila is an album recorded by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1966.
History Tequila is a mixture of tracks using just a jazz quartet with Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Ray Barretto and the rest with a string section arranged by Claus Ogerman. It is mainly a Latin-flavored album, the first Montgomery recorded without a keyboardist.
It was reissued on CD in 1999 and 2008 with alternate takes that are listed below. Chart performance
The album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated September 3, 1966, peaking at No. 51 during a thirty-two-week run on the chart. In Cashbox the album would peak at No. 54 during a fourteen-week run. Reception
In his AllMusic review, Scott Yanow singled out individual tracks as those giving Montgomery the opportunity to jam and those backed with string arrangements. The few tracks he praises he claims "uplift this album quite a bit beyond the guitarist's later A&M recordings."
Jazz writer Josef Woodard called the album "an airy, melodious record, with the standout track being the gently brooding Montgomery original 'Bumpin' on Sunset', which features him playing double octaves-the same note played in three octaves."
Track listing "Tequila" (Chuck Rio) "Little Child (Daddy Dear)" (Wayne Shanklin) "What the World Needs Now Is Love" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) "The Big Hurt" (Wayne Shanklin) "Bumpin' on Sunset" (Wes Montgomery) "Insensatez (How Insensitive)" (Vinicius De Moraes, Norman Gimbel, Antônio Carlos Jobim) "The Thumb" (Wes Montgomery) "Midnight Mood" (Ben Raleigh, Joe Zawinul)
Personnel Wes Montgomery – guitar Ron Carter – bass Grady Tate – drums Ray Barretto – conga George Devens – vibraphone Bernard Eichen – violin Arnold Eidus – violin Paul Gershman – violin Emanuel Green – violin Julius Held – violin Gene Orloff – violin Harry Lookofsky – violin Joseph Malin – violin Abe Kessler – cello Charles McCracken – cello George Ricci – cello Harvey Shapiro – cello Production notes: Creed Taylor – producer Claus Ogerman – arranger, conductor Rudy Van Gelder – engineer Charts
Chart (1966) Peakposition US Billboard Top LPs51 US Cashbox Top 100 Albums 54 References