---Peter Read    
    I'm sitting here at George's watching Kory Montgomery tear up the stage. It's a blues concert, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that Kory's leading a virtual rock 'n' roll jam powerfully with the other players on that stage. Sure, the music is essentially blues-based (after all, rock was born of blues in general), but tonight the room is decidedly rocking out to places traditional blues players only can dream about.
    Kory is obviously in his element. The players are all grinning and whooping it up, and on a couple occassions actually have applauded him at the end of the song. You can tell when sidemen are into it, especially when you see them singing along during the tunes, even though they aren't vocalists whatsoever.
    At 22 years old, Kory is what we used to call a "prodigy"…that young person with such an inborn understanding and natural feel for the music that any "lessons" would be a sheer waste of time…and would only serve to confuse and hold them back.
    He's a stellar guitarist and vocalist, and, much like Earl Cate and Steve Pryor, there doesn't seem to be any connection between his brain and his hands. It's as if they have a mind of their own, actually, and do things that the mere mind doesn't seem to have a clue about.
    "Sometimes I play a riff and I actually wonder where it came from…but when I consciously try to do it I can't do it again…"
    Hailing from Rogers, Arkansas, Kory has been playing music seriously since he was around 13. When he was but 15 or so he got to open for BB King through a chance meeting with a representative at the International Blues Competition in Indianola, Mississippi. I was jamming with Bob Margolin and this guy taking pictures was watching and cheering us on.
    "My dad and I are serious blues fans and always make a point to attend the IBC. One day one of the photographers at the convention heard me play and asked if I'd like to open for BB. I said, 'yeah, sure', figuring he was just dropping names and trying to impress me. A couple weeks later he called me up and told me he had me a slot to do just that. That was the first of three times I shared a stage with BB King, and frankly, after the first time I was so blown away about it I couldn't think of much of anything else."
    Unlike many of us, Kory came up in a family that is nearly totally supportive of his musical aspirations.
    "I think my parents could see my musical future before I could. My dad is a very fine blues vocalist, but never pursued it himself. In fact, when he dropped by the studio when we were cutting the cd I couldn't even get him near the microphone. And that's a shame, too, as he's really a great singer. I thought it'd be really cool to have him on the record.
    "The bottom line is that my family has made my music dreams their own, and has never been anything but super supportive across the board."
    Kory has just finished his first full-blown, professionally produced album, and is embarking on a record promotion tour.
    The CD, aptly titled The Kory Montgomery Band, is being released on July 29 at Powerhouse Seafood in Fayetteville. The next night there's a CD-release bash at Chelsea's in Eureka Springs, and the following night, he headlines the Nightflying: 30 Years To Life anniversary bash at Neumeier's Rib Room in Fort Smith.
    The CD contains nine tunes, eight of which were penned by Kory and other writers, and including only one cover tune. His take on Willis Alan Ramsey's "Satin Sheets" is excellent, and in my opinion, much better than the original. Indeed, if I was Willis Alan Ramsey, I'd be put out that this young upstart had upstaged me on my own song. (Actually, I suggested to Kory that he send Willis a copy of the CD…I think he'd be quite proud of this accomplishment…)
    When he was a mere lad of 13 he sat in with Gary Hutchison, Bugs Henderson and Steve Pryor here at George's and say's "I was awestruck. Here were 3 of the best guitarists in the world inviting me to play with them. I was nervous and couldn't think straight, but we all just played and made music and it was exciting. Afterwards Gary called me aside to tell me how much he enjoyed my playing and said that I was welcome to join him any time I wanted onstage. I don't think I slept a wink that night.
    "I got bit by the bug, you know, and had never seen so-called adults act so much like animals. They were yelling and dancing and screaming and rocking the house. All I've ever wanted to do since then is pursue the music, and it's a dream of mine to just keep doing it whenever and wherever I can."
    Kory started writing songs at age 15, his first being a tune called "Let's Go" - which he still performs on a regular basis. That bug also bit him, and he says he's since written around 100 songs - 30 of which he feels very strong about.
    I asked him about songwriting and his influences and tendencies.
    "Writing is a crazy thing…especially the way it always evolves with your life. I try to put my life experiences in my songs, so I try to put things in my life worth writing about. Each song is like a stepping stone that leads to the next tune…"
    "That's the beauty of living in a state like Arkansas. We have so many uncommonly great musicians that I'm surrounded by players that are so much better than I am. It's a bit awe-inspiring…around every corner it seems there are world-class players I'm happy I can call my friends. I've traveled around the country and no matter where I go the musicians don't seem to be anywhere as good as what we have right here in our own back yard. It's pretty incredible that we have so many great musicians we take them for granted."
    One of Kory's mentors in music is OBS president Liz Lottmann, who has featured Kory on many a blues concert through the years. According to Liz, "Kory's one of the hardest working young musicians I've ever known. At first his youth and playing were a bit of a novelty for me and anyone who heard him, but that has given way to sincere respect and appreciation of his incredible ability, and getting into the music. Rather than people just sitting back watching this young man in awe, he's so good musically they tend to get lost in the music…which is what you want, anyway."
    Tonight George's Majestic Lounge is absolutely packed and there's a synergy in this room…an overall good buzz of being present not at just a gig, but being a part of an event…an event few will ever forget.
    The CDs are available locally at Sound Warehouse and certainly at any Kory Montgomery show you might attend. It is also on Amazon.com, iTunes, Napster, and virtually anywhere online you can score music.
    In addition to Kory on guitars and vocals, credits on the cd include performances by Eman (drums), Drew Packard (guitar), Jeremy Ervin (bass), Mike Officer (background vocals, and co-writer of certain songs), and Juergen Lottmann, (percussion). The cd was recorded at Winterwood Studios by Eric Schabacker (engineer and mixer), mastered by Bob Katz, and the graphics were produced by Will Collins of Archetype Productions.
    The album was produced by Kory, Mike Officer and Eric Schabacker.
    To reach Kory Montgomery email him at kjm1553@yahoo.com
                                ---PR