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Charlie Christian
It
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
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"Play
What You Hear" author Chris Standring has a brand
new album out on Ultimate Vibe Recordings entitled "Love
& Paragraphs". Standring
puts aside his trusty longtime jazz axe, the archtop Benedetto,
and digs into more earthy blues-rock territory on five tracks
with two Fender Strats. Standring plays the Benedetto on
the balance of the tracks on Love & Paragraphs, which
includes the vocal and horn-enhanced, mid-tempo retro funk
title track, the dreamy, ambient chill meditation “Liquid
Soul”; the hypnotic and jazzy, trip-chill blues jazz
pop jam “Ooh Bop” (highlighted by Standring’s
own irresistible poppy vocals); the bright, rolling jazzy
samba “That’s What I Thought You Said” and
the lush and romantic, synth orchestra-enhanced “Reflection,”
which closes the set in a cool and dramatic film score-like
way. - Jonathan Widran
Preview the album online
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Learn
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Get the transcription & play along set and download:
Original album track recording in mp3 format * Play along
album track (without solo guitar) in mp3 format * Midi file
of solo guitar part (.mid file) * Lead guitar part music
notation in pdf format * Lead guitar part TAB & music
notation in pdf format * Master rhythm band chart in pdf
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More info and order here
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