Four on Six is a jazz standard written by Wes Montgomery. It first appeared in 1960 on his Riverside album The Incredible Jazz Guitar, a session famous for Montgomery’s thumb picking and octave work with the Wynton Kelly Trio on later live versions. The tune sits in a fast G minor groove with a sequence of II–V changes and a feel that can be heard as a 4/4 over 6/8 rhythm, hence the title. The intro is built from fifths played in unison with the bass and piano, and the melody and solos frequently explore G dorian, blues scales, arpeggios, and octaves. A well known later version is on Smokin’ at the Half Note with the Wynton Kelly Trio. Wes Montgomery, born in 1923 in Indianapolis, is celebrated as a pioneering jazz guitarist whose use of the thumb and octave technique helped define the sound of mid 20th century jazz.
