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ChristianIt
can be said without exaggeration that virtually every jazz guitarist that emerged
during 1940-65 sounded like a relative of Charlie Christian. The first important
electric guitarist, Christian played his instrument with the fluidity, confidence,
and swing of a saxophonist. Although technically a swing stylist, his musical
vocabulary was studied and emulated by the bop players, and when one listens to
players ranging from Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis, to Wes Montgomery
and George Benson, the dominant influence of Christian is obvious.
Charlie
Christian's time in the spotlight was terribly brief. He played piano locally
in Oklahoma, and began to utilize an amplified guitar in 1937, after becoming
a student of Eddie Durham, a jazz guitarist who invented the amplified guitar.
John Hammond, the masterful talent scout and producer, heard about Christian (possibly
from Mary Lou Williams), was impressed by what he saw, and arranged for the guitarist
to travel to Los Angeles in August 1939 and try out with Benny Goodman. Although
the clarinetist was initially put off by Christian's primitive wardrobe, as soon
as they started jamming on "Rose Room," Christian's talents were obvious.
For the next two years, he would be well-featured with Benny Goodman's Sextet;
there were two solos (including the showcase "Solo Flight") with the
full orchestra; and the guitarist had the opportunity to jam at Minton's Playhouse
with such up-and-coming players as Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Dizzy Gillespie.
All of the guitarist's recordings (including guest spots and radio broadcasts)
are currently available on CD. Tragically, he contracted tuberculosis in 1941,
and died at the age of 25 on March 2, 1942. It would be 25 years before jazz guitarists
finally moved beyond Charlie Christian.
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Charlie
Christian - Complete Studio Recordings [BOX SET]
Most critics consider
Charlie Christian the first important electric guitarist in jazz and a crucial
bridge between swing and bebop. For a long time, however, it has been relatively
difficult to collect Christian’s music because his work was released on several
labels and haphazardly repackaged. Definitive Records has addressed this problem
by releasing two box sets of his music: the Complete Studio Recordings and Complete
Live Recordings. Only the possessor of a definitive discography knows if either
set is complete, but the Complete Studio Recordings includes all the sessions
I’ve heard about, including five tracks used to flesh out John Hammond’s
“From Spirituals to Swing” ‘live’ set, five tracks of studio
jams and three alternate takes (all collected on disc four of the set). It does
not include a complete set of “alternate” takes, however, and if one
expects every note Christian recorded in the studio, this set will disappoint.
Definitive, however, is quite open about not offering alternates (both liners
and track listings make this clear) and while this policy has historical limitations,
musically it has much to recommend it. - Patrick Burnette Order
here from Amazon.com |
"Play
What You Hear" author Chris Standring has a brand new album out on Ultimate
Vibe Recordings entitled "Blue Bolero". "With
his sixth CD, Blue Bolero, Standring returns with a left-turning musical project
so daring in its scope but still so true to his sound that it is destined to be
one of the year's most-discussed projects, while certainly sure to be remembered
in years to come as a highlight of the guitarist's works. He's taking a chance
with Blue Bolero, but it's one his fans will certainly embrace as they follow
Standring's ever-evolving career. - Brian Soergel, Jazz Times Listen
to & purchase Blue Bolero
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