Buddy Montgomery

Charles "Buddy" Montgomery (January 30, 1930, Indianapolis, Indiana - May 14, 2009) was an American jazz vibraphonist and pianist. He was the younger brother of Wes and Monk Montgomery. He and brother Monk formed the "Mastersounds" in the late 1950s and produced ten recordings. When the "Mastersounds" disbanded, Monk and Buddy joined their brother Wes on a number of "Montgomery Brothers" recordings, which were arranged by Buddy. They toured together in 1968, and it was in the middle of that tour that Wes died. Buddy continued to compose, arrange, perform, produce, teach and record, producing nine recordings as a leader.

Biography
Buddy first played professionally in 1948; in 1949 he played with Big Joe Turner and soon afterwards with Slide Hampton. After a period in the Army, where he had his own quartet, he joined the "Mastersounds" as a vibraphonist with his brother Monk, pianist Richie Crabtree and drummer Benny Barth in 1957. He led the "Montgomery-Johnson Quintet" with Ray Johnson from 1955 and 1957. His earliest sessions as a leader are from the late 1950s. He played briefly with Miles Davis in 1960. In 1969 he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and taught jazz locally. Early in the 1980s he moved to Oakland; there he released more solo material and played with the Riverside Reunion Band, Charlie Rouse, David Fathead Newman and Bobby Hutcherson.

As leader

 * Swinging with the Mastersounds (Fantasy/OJC, 1960)
 * A Date with the Mastersounds(Fantasy/OJC, 1961)
 * The King And I (World Pacific Records, 1961)
 * The Two-Sided Album (Milestone Records, 1968)
 * This Rather Than That (Impulse!, 1969)
 * Ties (Bean, 1977)
 * Of Love (Storyville, 1986)
 * Ties of Love (Landmark Records, 1986)
 * So Why Not? (Landmark, 1988)
 * Live at Maybeck Recital Hall (Concord Jazz, 1991)
 * Here Again (Sharp Nine, 1997)
 * Icebreaker (Staalplaat, 2001)
 * A Love Affair in Paris (Space Time, 2002)
 * A Day in the Life (Pony Canyon, 2006)

As sideman

 * Johnny Griffin: Do Nothing 'til You Hear from Me (Riverside, 1963)
 * Bobby Hutcherson: Cruisin' the Bird (Landmark, 1988)
 * George Shearing with the Montgomery Brothers: A Date with the Montgomery Brothers
 * Wes Montgomery: Wes & Friends (Milestone, 1961)
 * Charlie Rouse: Epistrophy (Landmark, 1988)
 * David Fathead Newman: Blue Head (Candid Records, 1990) Live, with Clifford Jordan
 * Colleen McNabb: Don't Go to Strangers (Zuccarecords, 2009)