This is part of a mini-series on our competitively priced budget label Fabulous under the banner of Jazz Legends, presenting some of great and influential names of jazz, with recordings drawn from the classic era of the genre's development between 1920 and 1950. Charlie Christian was one of the key figures who shaped the development of jazz guitar, in particular the use of the amplified electric guitar. His use of the single-string solo technique, aided by the amplification which brought the instrument out of the rhythm section and into front-line solos, revolutionised the role of the guitar in jazz, especially in a small group context. Despite his tragically short life - he died from tuberculosis in 1942 when he was 25 - his prolific activity during his two years or so of recording, coming as it did at the beginning of the '40s, made him a key figure in the development of bebop. This great value 24-track collection comprises recordings which he made from the time he joined Benny Goodman's Sextet in summer of 1939, through to just before he succumbed to illness in June 1941, primarily with Goodman's band but also including other work, including a track from the legendary Minton's Playhouse jam sessions which were the genesis of bebop. It's an entertaining and enlightening snapshot of a career which had an influence way beyond its short span.
S**D
Excellent intro to the pioneer of all electric lead guitar
Several years ago I purchased "The Genius of the Electric Guitar", featuring Christian at his best, primarily with Benny Goodman and his small group ensembles, and three cuts from the now near mythical recordings of him playing live at Minton's jazz club, as important musically as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Recently more Christian material has surfaced, and there is a lot more available than I thought existed, although some packages are retreads of previously released songs. The version of "The Genius of Electric Guitar" I have is not the same one as is available on amazon. Looking for fresh Christian material means doing a bit of work, because of his tragically short life, succumbing to tuberculosis at 25. What makes Christian so critical in the world of guitar and the nearly single handed creation of bebop is his being the first true electric amplified lead guitarist to be heard by a sizable audience. I would dare to guess that just as today, there may have been many musicians who tinkered with their homemade creations, and may well have developed independently their own electric guitars, but because of their poverty or lack of recognition they remained undiscovered. I firmly believe there are gifted players we will never know about who prefer their privacy and do wish to be part of the professional recording world. My brother is an acoustic genius, but wants no part of the music world outside his own playing for his own enjoyment, and that's too bad perhaps, because he can play Kottke, Atkins, Richard Thompson and his own stuff that is mind blowingly good. We are fortunate to have Christian, though. Thanks to Benny Goodman, who was famous and brazen enough to dare to have a mixed race combo, Christian became part of his band, and for the time, jazz simply didn't get any better, unless you count Duke Ellington. Because of this, all guitarists who play, especially lead, owe a debt to Charlie Christian, who may have been more of a jazz player, but also had a great feel for the blues and his phrasing and ability would be the standard that all great guitarists would be judged by, maybe with only Lonnie Johnson, the grossly underestimated great player who first ripped up fretboards in the late 1920's, or Django Reinhardt to be regarded as peers in that style. Without Christian, there would be no Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green or Danny Gatton, all of whom acknowledged their debt to the great man, and the electrified blues wouldn't have been possible, either. This collection is a fine place to start if you haven't already. Along with Goodman, there is a tune with Lionel Hampton's orchestra, "Haven't Named It Yet", and for those who don't recognize the name, Hampton is the greatest vibes player in jazz history, and also worked a lot with Goodman. "Waitin' For Benny (A Smooth One) is the sextet with Christian jamming before the great clarinetist arrives at the studio. We hear the warning "ten seconds" from the engineer, and it's humorous to note (I read this elsewhere) that when Mr. Goodman, who wasn't always the most friendly fellow if things weren't working to his satisfaction, arrived, his band was expected to be ready to go, RIGHT NOW. The jam ends quickly. "Topsy" is one of the live Minton's tunes, and the CD ends with a faster jazzier take on "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", a fine tune if there ever was one. The sound at times is dated - not all vintage recordings could be cleaned up due to the source material, so audiophiles may complain about the sound quality. But don't let that stop you. As far as I'm concerned, hearing this wonderful music from the sources in the studios and live settings of the day just adds a tremendous vibe that makes their era come alive. This incomparable music, as the CD back records, was done in one take, maybe not the first, but it was live, and required musicians to be so much more skillful because unlike today where so many pathetic "artists" are nothing but fronts for machine music, and simple minded crap at that, and/or take years to release 50 or so minutes of music that is hugely overproduced, the musicians of the recording world up through the mid-50's couldn't punch in or overdub, much less multitrack their instruments. It was live, it was REAL. To be able to hear the live audience at Minton's and the jam that followed is wonderful. Minton's, Christian and its audience are long gone, but for at least those who were there, will always be with us. If you play guitar, any style, especially lead guitar, and you don't own at least one CD from Charlie Christian, you are doing your instrument and its brilliant legacy a huge disservice. Again, "The Charlie Christian Collection 1939-1941" is a great starting point.
F**N
Great guitar, but....
Most of there songs were recorded with Benny Goodman's orchestra and it's a lot of big band sound which is ok but I was hoping to hear more Charlie Christian.
F**R
Could be Great. Will never know.
Hard to tell if the music is good. CD will not play. CD player attempt to play, but decide that CD is not a CD and asks for a CD to be inserted. Problem is, I did not discover product flaw until after time had past for return or refund. Small loss, still.
L**D
the sound quality is not great. For fans only
As expected, the sound quality is not great. For fans only, not for casual listeners.
G**K
Five Stars
Quality was good....was very pleased to hear good jazzman
A**R
Good music
Liked it
M**M
Charlie christian must have
Charlie christian was an innovative genius .one of the first great guitarist.
G**8
Five Stars
Yes nice music
P**T
Very good value
There are many more tracks on this CD Collection than on the more expensive Goodman CD with Charlie Christian. It also includes a life history of Charlie, and complete data on the different bands' personnel, with dates. Maybe it is Goodman's name that makes his record more expensive, but this is the one to buy. You are missing nothing, get a lot, and is extremely good value at the low price.
R**N
Excellent album
An excellent collection of Charlie Christian recordings. He recorded prolonged fically during his, sadly, short career. A ground breaking and talented musician. Thoroughly recommended purchase; good transcription quality and excellent value for money.
D**K
Five Stars
Love this. Superb x
R**0
Five Stars
good music from a legend
R**N
A True Pioneer!
Young Charlie was the first true modern jazz guitar virtuoso. Any student of jazz guitar is missing the foundation of it all without having some Charlie Christian in their jazz library.
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