The last album Wes
Montgomery released for Verve in his lifetime—and among his last works ever,
just before a trio of albums for A&M released in his final year—was 1967's California
Dreaming. Like many of the guitarist's Verve recordings, the
album found Montgomery pivoting away from proper jazz and more toward pop fare
from what the original liner notes deemed "the uptight, outasight,
everything’s-gonna-be-alright-‘60s”—all produced with brio by Creed Taylor
and arranged by Don Sebesky. The album pairs Montgomery’s signature
octave-driven guitar style with lush, string-laden orchestrations and a large,
varied ensemble featuring luminaries like Ray Beckenstein and Stan Webb on
saxophone and Herbie Hancock on piano. Key tracks include the title tune, a Top
5 hit for The Mamas and The Papas, along with then-current pop instrumentals by
Bobby Hebb ("Sunny") and Sol Lake ("More, More, Amor,"
"Green Peppers," "Winds of Barcelona").
