A long-hidden treasure from the jazz guitar trailblazer

It took more than five decades for this 1959 live recording to see the light of day, so thank your lucky stars it finally surfaced. There’s a thrillingly visceral quality to the sonic simpatico between Montgomery and pianist Eddie Higgins here. Whether it’s Higgins’ cascading piano runs darting around Montgomery’s almost-giddy chording on the ballad “Prelude to a Kiss” or the guitar hero’s frenetic bop excursions atop Higgins’ bluesy but sophisticated comping on a furious “Stompin’ at the Savoy", the pair’s rapport shines brightly throughout the album.