Pianist Barry Harris composed the song Lolita in 1960. He first recorded it for his album Barry Harris at the Jazz Workshop, recorded live at San Francisco's Jazz Workshop in May 1960. Barry's recording is alternating between bop and Latin.
Guitarist Wes Montgomery picked up on this feel when he recorded the song in 1963 for his Portrait of Wes album, released by Riverside in 1966 after Montgomery had moved on to Verve. Organist Melvin Rhyne gave the version a funky feel, with George Brown on drums. The Latin feel is mambo, with a touch of Sonny Rollins's Pent-Up House.
Here's Wes Montgomery's rendition of Lolita...
Bonus: Here's Barry Harris's recording...
And here's Sonny Rollins's Pent-Up House...
Guitarist Wes Montgomery picked up on this feel when he recorded the song in 1963 for his Portrait of Wes album, released by Riverside in 1966 after Montgomery had moved on to Verve. Organist Melvin Rhyne gave the version a funky feel, with George Brown on drums. The Latin feel is mambo, with a touch of Sonny Rollins's Pent-Up House.
Here's Wes Montgomery's rendition of Lolita...
Bonus: Here's Barry Harris's recording...
And here's Sonny Rollins's Pent-Up House...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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