The 1962 song Nile Rodgers hails as his favourite of all time: “Something unique and special”
Almost certainly one of the most influential guitarists in the world of pop, rock and funk, Nile Rodgers’ playing style not only covers many bases, but stems from an equally wide range of origins.
Perhaps better known for his unmistakable sense of rhythm that spilt over into technically adept lead work and solo virtuosity, the Chic bandleader has always maintained a versatility throughout his career that has led him to work with figures as diverse as David Bowie, Diana Ross and Daft Punk, among others. However, as much as he may have drawn from many different sources, he himself has always maintained that his playing style most closely resembles a combination of two guitarists whose work he was transfixed by during his early years.
In an interview with Q Magazine, Rodgers proclaimed that his entire style was simply a mixture of psychedelic rock icon Jimi Hendrix and jazz player Wes Montgomery, claiming that everything he ever needed to know was something that he acquired from one of these two figures.
However, as far as history is concerned, Hendrix has had much more of an impact on the wider scope of music, with his influence still being felt in significant ways to this day despite having died so early on in his career. Montgomery, on the other hand, while also having had his life cut short by a heart attack at the age of 45, is talked about far less often in the modern day, but in the mind of Rodgers, is a player who he considers to be among the greatest of all time.
Having worked with a number of other illustrious names in the world of jazz, including the rhythm section of Miles Davis’ First Great Sextet, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb, Montgomery was able to compete with the heavyweights of the genre. Alongside this rhythmic duo, as well as saxophonist Johnny Griffin and pianist Wynton Kelly, Montgomery recorded his 1962 live album, Full House in Berkeley, California, which ended up being one of the most impactful records of Rodgers’ life.
Featured on the album is an interpretation of the 1944 Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli song, ‘Blue ‘N’ Boogie’, which would later become a standard through performances courtesy of Montgomery, Davis and Sonny Rollins. It’s Montgomery’s version that Rodgers was most enamoured with, and he claimed to Q Magazine that it was the first song that ever made a long-lasting impression on him from a guitar standpoint.
“The first time I was over-impressed with guitar playing was when I heard Wes Montgomery’s Full House,” he argued. “It’s so good it’s just fucking ridiculous. The whole album is amazing, but the track that really stood out for me was ‘Blue ‘N’ Boogie’. I guess I was around 12 or 13 when I first heard it.”
He continued, stating how his ears were completely opened by this experience, and how hearing the song now still has an effect on him. “It was Wes that made me realise that the guitar was something unique and special,” Rodgers professed. “I had hipper-than-hip parents who were into modern jazz, so I was hearing Miles, [John] Coltrane, but not many guitar players. I’m still as awestruck by ‘Blue ‘N’ Boogie’ now as I was back then. It’s not just technically amazing, it’s full of soul, it’s so clever, and there’s riffs in there that would become jazz staples.”
Montgomery may not be one of the first names that comes to mind when discussing the greatest guitarists of all time, let alone the greatest jazzmen, but given how he’s ended up being the primary influence for one of the most versatile players on the planet, that’s a massive oversight.
