Montgomery’s guitar grooved. That voice he spoke with, and connected with, with his guitar, was everything that immediately defines cool. He took the familiar and made it into more, he gave it added richness and layers with textures that touched every corner of the soul. He teased the ear with a rhythmic drive that was all about the blend of melody and beat.
It was as if he could recreate lyrics as music sounds instead of the sounds of words, this way giving the listener the impression the words were not missing but were simply given a different way. The music and its culture, its world, did not get to have him for long.
His life was cut short, ended at 45. In so many ways that short time lived gave us all a flavoring in music to be treasured; that flavoring has been the foundation for so many who have followed. The inspiration in the sweetness of the gentleness of the groove.