| Down Here on the Ground | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Wes Montgomery | ||||
| Released | April 1968 | |||
| Recorded | December 20, 1967 – January 26, 1968 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 31:11 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Creed Taylor | |||
| Wes Montgomery chronology | ||||
| ||||
Down Here on the Ground is an album by the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1968. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 4 on the R&B chart. It also reached number 38 on the Billboard 200.
The song "Down Here on the Ground" is Montgomery's version of the theme song from the movie Cool Hand Luke, by Lalo Schifrin.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | |
In his AllMusic review, Anthony Romero-- One of the most brilliantly orchestrated albums ever produced by Don Sebesky full of emotion and timeless beauty. Wes continues to astound with brilliant performances of contemporary classics like Georgia, Going to Detroit, the Fox, and Say a Little Prayer. Wes's treatment of popular songs is his true gift. Don Sebesky is a most gifted arranger.
Track listing
- "Wind Song" (Herb Alpert, Nick Ceroli, Neil Larsen, John Pisano, Paul Francis Webster) – 2:22
- "Georgia on My Mind" (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) – 2:46
- "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" (Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent) – 2:36
- "Down Here on the Ground" (Lalo Schifrin, Gale Garnett) – 3:42
- "Up and at It" (Wes Montgomery) – 4:15
- "Goin' on to Detroit" (Montgomery) – 3:38
- "I Say a Little Prayer for You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 3:18
- "When I Look in Your Eyes" (Leslie Bricusse) – 3:11
- "Know It All (Quem Diz Que Sabe)" (João Donato, Paulo Valle) – 2:59
- "The Fox" (Lalo Schifrin) – 2:56
Personnel
- Wes Montgomery – guitar
- Herbie Hancock – piano
- Ron Carter – bass
- Grady Tate – drums
- Ray Barretto – percussion
- Hubert Laws – flute, oboe
- George Marge – flute, oboe
- Romeo Penque – flute, oboe
- Bobby Rosengarden – percussion
- Mike Mainieri – vibraphone
- Gene Orloff – violin
- Raoul Poliakin – violin
- George Ricci – cello
- Emanuel Vardi – viola
Production notes:
- Creed Taylor – producer
- Don Sebesky – arranger, conductor
- Eumir Deodato – arranger, conductor
- Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
- Kevin Reeves – mastering
- John Synder – remastering
- Pete Turner – cover photo, photography
- Isabelle Wong – design
- Sam Antupit – design
- Hollis King – art direction
- Andy Kman – production coordinator
- Harry Weinger – reissue supervisor
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Billboard Jazz Albums | 1 |
| Billboard R&B Albums | 4 | |
| The Billboard 200 | 38 |
External links
- Down Here on the Ground at Discogs (list of releases)
References
- "Billboard". April 27, 1968.
- Woodard, Josef (July–August 2005). "Wes Montgomery: The Softer Side of Genius'". JazzTimes.
- Nastos, Michael G. "Down Here on the Ground > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
- Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 147. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1028. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.