The Kerrytown Concert House presents A Tribute to Wes Montgomery on Sunday, July 29. Featuring the works of the legendary jazz guitarist, the performers feature guitar greats Perry Hughes, Randy Napoleon and Ralph Tope together with Duncan MacMillan on Hammond B-3 organ and Sean Dobbins on drums.

John Leslie “Wes” Montgomery is rememberd one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. His style influenced guitarists beyond jazz and blues to rock and classical performers, including George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Pat Metheny, Jimi Hendrix and A. Spencer Barefield. Wes Montgomery also was an accomplished composer and bandleader. He died in 1968 at age 45.

Ticket prices for the Sunday, July 29 performance of A Tribute to Wes Montgomery range from $15 to $30, with a student rate of $10. There will be sets at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. For reservations, call (734) 769-2999. Click here for online info.

From Kerrytown Concert House:

Guitarist Wes Montgomery, whose career flourished in the 1950’s and 60’s, has inspired some of our best contemporary jazz artists, including Michigan-based guitarists Perry Hughes and Ralph Tope, and New York-based guitarist Randy Napoleon, who perform from the Montgomery songbook in Ann Arbor at the Kerrytown Concert House on Sunday July 29. Chris Codish, on Hammond B-3 organ, and Sean Dobbins, on drums, accompany the guitarists.

“Wes is the golden standard of jazz guitar,” Napoleon reflects. “The warmth and excitement of his sound, his driving swing feel, the constant melodic inventiveness, impeccable editing of his ideas, his virtuosity, what can I say, it’s all there. I love that with all his stunning technique, he isn’t afraid to play simple, direct ideas. He’s folksy without being clichéd. I love his writing and arranging, it’s always catchy and straight to the point.”

Perry Hughes, instructor of jazz guitar at Michigan State University, is a self-taught musician who began playing guitar while in junior high. Hughes performed and recorded with Earl Klugh for 15 years (1979-1993). During that period, he also toured with pianist Bob James and with Bobby Lyle. He has worked with some of the world’s leading vocalists, including Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, the late Joe Williams, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, and Millie Scott. He has been featured on recordings by Bob James, Gene Dunlap, Aretha Franklin, Bill Heid, and Will Downing on the Arista, Polygram, and Capitol Records labels. He is currently touring and/or recording with Aretha Franklin, Bob James, Gene Dunlap, Ronnie Laws, Bill Heid, and Marion Meadows.

Randy Napoleon is a guitarist, composer and arranger who toured and recorded with Benny Green, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Michael Bublé before joining The Freddy Cole Quartet in 2007; he has toured with Cole since then and arranged Cole’s last two albums, including the 2010 Grammy-nominated Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B. Napoleon has also appeared with other luminaries, including Bill Charlap at Lincoln Center. His latest solo release is The Jukebox Crowd. He has also recorded with Jared Gold, Paul Keller, Melissa Morgan, and others, and recently collaborated on Bitter/Sweet with singer Eric Comstock. His TV appearances in the United States, mainly as a sideman, include shows hosted by David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jerry Lewis, Ellen DeGeneres and Regis & Kelly, as well as The View, Today, and the PBS special Caught in the Act. He also tours with his own bands and teaches college clinics.

 Ralph Tope, a 25-year-old student at Michigan State University, studies jazz with Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, and his mentor, guitarist Perry Hughes. Ralph performs often around the Detroit metro area with drummer R. J. Spangler, saxophonist Ben Jansson and organist Chris Codish. He evinces a strong work ethic and passionate desire to learn as much as possible from a myriad of musical sources. Ralph has made his recording debut with an appearance on We Like to Riff: A Toast To The Nat “King” Cole Trio.

Keyboard specialist Chris Codish, a perennial winner at the Detroit Music Awards over the past twelve years, has received multiple honors for his vocal and songwriting skills as well as his organ and piano dexterity. Recently he served as producer for a The Gentleman is Back. a new CD on Sly Dog Records by Detroit bluesman Johnnie Bassett and also toured with drummer Harvey Mason, as well as the late guitar great, Hiram Bullock. Chris has appeared at several Detroit music festivals as the leader of his own group, The Brothers Groove, or as a supporting artist for many local and international jazz performers. He has played numerous concerts, recording sessions, lounges and nightclubs, and has toured extensively through Europe, Russia and Japan.

 Sean Dobbins began his career as a sideman to Blue Note artist Louis Smith. Since, he has performed/toured/recorded with Johnny Basset, Benny Golson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Frank Morgan, Joey DeFrancesco, George Cables, James “Blood” Ulmer, Marcus Belgrave, Larry Willis, Rodney Whittaker, Claude Black, Johnny O’Neal, Paul Keller, Tad Weed, Kurt Krahnke, Jon Hendricks, David “Fathead” Newman, Donald Walden, Cyrus Chesnut, Barry Harris, David Baker, Randy Johnston, Marion Hayden, Mose Allison, and a host of other great musicians. In 1999, he became the director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Summer Jazz Program. In one year, the enrollment more than tripled, and in 2001 the group was featured on WEMU. He currently plays with such groups as Dobbins, Krahnke and Weed; The Modern Jazz Messengers; and other local and national acts.