LaRue Nickelson, who plays Independent Bar & Cafe in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 16, 2024. Credit: MARLO MILLER

Despite his many releases, jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery had a relatively short recording career. Famous for the way he plucked with the side of thumb, Montgomery, who died at 45 years old, lived in the hard and post-bob worlds, but had a heavy influence on soul jazz, fusion and smooth jazz, too.

There’s no other guitarist in Tampa Bay better suited to take on the chordal, melodic, and rhythmic influence Montgomery had, than LaRue Nickelson who headlines this matinee. Nickelson is part of a quartet that includes pianist Per Danielsson, bassist Joe Porter, and drummer Walt Hubbard.

Tickets to Tampa Jazz Club and LaRue Nickelson’s Centennial Tribute to Wes Montgomery on Sunday, March 19 at Mainstage Theatre at Hillsborough Community College in Ybor City are still available and start at $10.

This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2023.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...