Willow Weep for Me (album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Willow Weep for Me

| type = studio

| cover = Willow Weep for Me album.jpg

| alt =

| released = December 1968{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_0QEAAAAMBAJ&dq=wes+montgomery+willow+weep+for+me&pg=PA59|title=Billboard|date=December 21, 1968}}

| recorded = 1965

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Jazz

| length =

| label = Verve

| producer = Esmond Edwards

| prev_title = Road Song

| prev_year = 1968

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

Willow Weep for Me is a posthumous jazz album recorded by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1965 and released in 1968. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Jazz album chart in 1969. At the Grammy Awards of 1970 Willow Weep for Me won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.

History

After Montgomery's death, Verve used recordings from the sessions that produced Smokin' at the Half Note and hired arranger Claus Ogerman to write string and brass arrangements for "Willow Weep for Me", "Portrait of Jennie," "Oh! You Crazy Moon," and "Misty." Subsequent reissues erased the new backing arrangements.

Reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = Allmusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |first=Richard S. |last= Ginell |title= Willow Weep for Me > Review |url= {{AllMusic|class=album|id= r144236 |pure_url=yes}} |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate= December 17, 2010}}

|rev2 = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings

|rev2score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |authorlink1=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |authorlink2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |page=1028}}

}}

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Richard Grinell called the original release "... prime, mature Wes Montgomery stretching out in full, with unbelievable confidence in his ear and technique at all times, experimenting now and then with mild electronic effects devices. The sound is oddly dim and shallow on the LP, which is surprising since the Smokln' album sounded so good."

At the Grammy Awards of 1970 Willow Weep for Me won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.