Observing the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery and commemorating his contributions to jazz music.

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 208 Observing the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Leslie ‘‘Wes’’ Montgomery and commemorating his contributions to jazz music. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 8, 2023 Mr. CARSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce RESOLUTION Observing the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Leslie ‘‘Wes’’ Montgomery and commemorating his contribu- tions to jazz music. Whereas, on March 6, 1923, John Leslie ‘‘Wes’’ Montgomery (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘Wes Montgomery’’) was born to Frances and Tom Montgomery in Indianap- olis, Indiana; Whereas Wes Montgomery was naturally gifted in the musi- cal arts and became proficient on the 4- and 6-string gui- tar in his youth; Whereas Wes Montgomery was a self-taught musician and learned to play guitar by listening to recordings of jazz guitarist Charlie Christian; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:34 Mar 09, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR208.IH HR208 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 208 IH Whereas Wes Montgomery developed a unique fingerstyle playing technique uncommon to jazz guitarists in his day, using the thumb to play bass notes simultaneously with melodic lines; Whereas Wes Montgomery crafted diverse and unconventional rhythms that became a defining representation of bebop- style jazz guitar; Whereas Wes Montgomery became famous after performing in jazz clubs in Indianapolis and was later recruited to tour with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra; Whereas, in 1957, Wes Montgomery joined his brothers Buddy and Monk to perform with other bands and record music with Pacific Jazz Records; Whereas, following the release of Wes Montgomery’s albums ‘‘The Wes Montgomery Trio’’ and ‘‘The Incredible Guitar of Wes Montgomery’’, Wes Montgomery’s music became famous internationally, and his band traveled extensively in Europe in the spring of 1965; Whereas, in 1967, Wes Montgomery’s album ‘‘A Day in the Life’’ was rated the premier album on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, 2nd on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, and 13th on the Billboard 200 chart; and Whereas, on June 15, 1968, Wes Montgomery passed at his home in Indianapolis: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that— 2 (1) the contributions of John Leslie ‘‘Wes’’ 3 Montgomery to jazz music continue to enrich the 4 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:34 Mar 09, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR208.IH HR208 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 208 IH music industry and inspire countless musicians 1 across the world; and 2 (2) the legacy of John Leslie ‘‘Wes’’ Mont- 3 gomery as a great Hoosier musician should be recog- 4 nized and celebrated. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:34 Mar 09, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR208.IH HR208 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS