The subject line is taken from a Columbia sampler...



...of their Genius of the Electric Guitar box set.


I remember buying...



...Solo Flight as one of my Columbia Record Club selections back in the day.


His is another sad story of a musical innovator who died at the age of 25.
Christian came in contact with his first electric gear via Eddie Durham who made some of the first electric guitar recordings. Then it was Charlie's talent that helped push the guitar from an accompanying device to a full fledged solo instrument and pretty much laid down the law for single-note jazz guitar soloing.


His instrument of choice...



...Gibson ES-150


One of the better recording collections is...



...Charlie Christian: The Original Guitar Genius

This set not only includes the tracks recorded with Benny Goodman but also includes 4 tracks recorded with Edmond Hall's Celeste Quartet (using an acoustic guitar) and 6 tracks mostly recorded at the legendary Minton's Jazz club in Harlem,NYC.

Regarding his after-hours jamming at Minton's...

His work here seems to me relentlessly creative, endlessly fertile, and is so in a way that marks a new stylistic departure. Indeed, it signals the birth of a new language in jazz, which even [Charlie] Parker did not have as clearly in focus at that time."

...Gunther Schuller (musician/writer)




...News Segment




...Rose Room




...Solo Flight




...Blues in B




...Air Mail Special




...Waiting For Benny




...Stompin' At The Savoy




(1916 - 1942)




Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records
[Edited 11/25/09 14:33pm]

Uncle Neal, I know how you feel about this film. But I gotta give it the credit for introducing me to the world of Mr.Charlie Christian...


I bought the Benny Goodman small group session esp for him(along with the ones accompanied by The Hamp, Gene Krupa and Teddy Wilson).

Speaking of the Hamp, he(Christian) can be found in alot of recordings from this set..

[Edited 11/25/09 14:29pm]

Harlepolis said:

Then it served it's purpose.

Regarding the film, for the Jazz newbie, it's fine.
And in general, it's better than nothing.




Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records

theAudience said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I've watched it for the 2nd time(after a couple of years from the 1st one) and I got this feeling that Ken was equating Wynton Marsalis' overview of Jazz as the foundation behind its history

I was surprised to find a tamer Stanley Crouch though usually his words are more fired up.

Harlepolis said:

That was the problem many folks had with the documentary.


There's probably some great out-takes that ended up on the cutting room floor.
You know he went off if they asked him anything about Free Jazz, Avant Garde or 80s era Miles.


Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records

I enjoyed his commentary in...


Mind you, I didn't see eye-to-eye with ALOT of the shit he mumbled but I did find the humor element.

Harlepolis said:

Got that one.

I have problems with Stanley "The Grouch" Crouch regarding his myopic view of Jazz.
However, on certain other subjects, we'd agree.




...From one of his lectures.



Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records
[Edited 11/25/09 19:16pm]

Finally got a chance to listen

Good stuff

Here's a Charlie Christian Gibson 1936 es150. What I'd do to get my hands on one.

Thanks for the homework, Neal.