John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (6 March 1925 - 15 June 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. He is generally considered one of the major jazz guitarists, alongside such figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. http://wc06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=WES|MONTGOMERY&sql=11:fifyxqy5ldhe~T1 Biography Montgomery was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. He came from a musical family, in which his brothers, Monk (string bass and electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone, and piano), were jazz performers. Although he was not skilled at reading music, he could learn complex melodies and riffs by ear. Montgomery started learning guitar at the age of 19, listening to and learning recordings of his idol, the guitarist Charlie Christian. He was known for his ability to play Christian solos note for note and was hired by Lionel Hampton for this ability. Montgomery is often considered the greatest of modern jazz