As it so happened, Charlie Christian’s birthday, July 29, fell on the day of my weekly jazz show. I tried to compile a playlist that, in a small way, reflected Charlie Christian’s enormous talent, skill, and musical style, as well as illustrate his influence on both his musical contemporaries and generations of guitar players that followed.
Sadly, because he died of tuberculosis at the young age of 25 in 1942, Charlie Christian’s recorded legacy is limited, spanning only from August 19, 1939, with the Benny Goodman Sextet, to June, 1941, also with Benny Goodman. He contracted the disease in the late 1930s and was hospitalized for a short time early in 1940, but continued the hectic life of a jazz musician. But in June of 1941 he was admitted to a sanatorium on Staten Island. He never got well again.
Charlie Christian was an inventive, unique jazz guitar soloist, a composer (Kenny Clarke, the man who invented bop drumming, insisted that it was Christian who wrote “Epistrophy” a tune they played with Monk after hours at Minton’s Playhouse), but never a leader during his brief recording career. So my goal was to ferret out his best recorded solos (thanks to the amazing Charlie Christian resource at roadrunner.com), starting with the Kansas City Six in 1939.
Though born in Bonham, Texas, Charlie Christian and his parents arrived in Oklahoma City when he was two-years old. Oklahoma City was a hub if jazz activity, boasting an impressive list of great jazz musicians.
Charlie Parker
Lester Young
T-Bone Walker: By 1921—that would make Charlie Christian five-years old—he was performing with his father’s strolling string band in Oklahoma City. And by 1923 he was learning to play the guitar under his father’s tutelage. Sometime around 1928-29 he began taking guitar lessons from Ralph ‘Big Foot Chuck’ Hamilton, who was a chord player. But Christian developed his own single-string style technique in an attempt to duplicate the sound of a tenor saxophone.
Lonnie Johnson: It could be said that because of Lonnie Johnson’s reputation as an innovative guitarist and vocalist, it’s very likely Charlie Christian knew about and had heard Lonnie Johnson recordings, and just as likely he was influenced by him enough to incorporate some of these innovations into his own playing. You can hear Lonnie Johnson’s playing style in both Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker. Johnson apparently knew about Charlie Christian and even had met him in NYC in 1940 when Christian was in NY for a recording session for Columbia. “I knew him in New York City when I was playing with Fats Waller at Connie’s Inn,” according to Dean Alger (160).
Playlist:
Charlie Christian “Good Morning, Blues” from “From Spirituals to Swing” Concert at Carnegie Hall (1939) — Kansas City Six: Charlie Christian, lead guitar, Lester Young-ts, Buck Clayton-tpt, Freddie Green-rhythm g, Walter Page-b, Jo Jones-d.
NOTES:
The first three tunes on the playlist were performed by the Kansas City Six live on Christmas Eve, 1939. By the time this was recorded, Charlie Christian had already been working for Benny Goodman since August of 1939, both with the Goodman orchestra and the sextet. What’s fascinating about this particular recording session is that this band is essentially Count Basie’s band and Charlie Christian’s hero, Lester Young, is part this band. Charlie
This must have been a very busy period for Charlie since he was also performing and recording with Benny Goodman’s orchestra and the sextet at this time. Freddie Green’s laid back, dependable comping still perfectly supports Christian’s single-string solo improvisations.
Charlie Christian “Pagin’ The Devil” from “From Spirituals to Swing” Concert at Carnegie Hall (1939) — Kansas City Six: Charlie Christian, lead guitar, Lester Young-ts, Buck Clayton-tpt, Freddie Green-rhythm g, Walter Page-b, Jo Jones-d. (Walter Page solo, Young solo; Christian solo) The title references Walter Page and the Kansas City Bluedevils. Great Stuff!
Charlie Christian “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” from “From Spirituals to Swing” Concert at Carnegie Hall (1939) — Kansas City Six: Charlie Christian, lead guitar, Lester Young-ts, Buck Clayton-tpt, Freddie Green-rhythm g, Walter Page-b, Jo Jones-d.
Jay McShann and His Orchestra “St. Louis Mood” from Jay McShann Orchestra featuring Charlie Parker (1943) on Spolite — Recorded at the Savoy Ballroom. Group typifies the Kansas City style of riffed swing and blues. It’s widely known that McShann hired
Jay McShann “The Jumpin’ Blues” composed by Walter Brown, Jay McShann from Some Blues (1990) on Chi-Sound — Jay McShann, piano, leader; Al Grey, trom; Clark Terry, trum; Milt Hinton, bass; Ben Riley, drums
Charlie Christian “Rose Room” from The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Bonus Track Version) (1941) on Columbia — Benny Goodman Sextet: Charlie Christian, guitar (has intro and 32 bar solo); LIONEL HAMPTON-vib, FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Benny Goodman “HONEYSUCKLE ROSE” from The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Bonus Track Version) (1939) on Columbia — Benny Goodman & his Orchestra: (32 bar solo)CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, TOOTS MONDELLO-as, BUFF ESTES-as, JERRY JEROME-ts, BUS BASSEY-ts, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, ZIGGY ELMAN-tpt, JOHNNY MARTEL-tpt, JIMMY MAXWELL-tpt, RED BALLARD-tbn, VERNON BROWN-tbn, TED VESE
Chick Webb and His Orchestra “Blue Minor” composed by Sampson from Chick Webb And His Orchestra 1934/39 (1939) on Jazz Archives
Jimmy Rushing “Jimmy’s Blues” from Rushing Lullabies (1958) on Columbia — Solos from Dicky Wells on trom and Emmett Berry, trum
Oscar Moore Trio “SWEET LORRAINE” from Presenting Oscar Moore with Leroy Vinegar (EP) on 5 star — Oscar Moore, guitar; Johnny Moore, guitar; Leroy Vinegar, bass
Herb Ellis “Thank You, Charlie Christian (Thank You Charlie Christian)” composed by Ellis, Pass from Softly but with that Feeling – Thank You, Charlie Christian (2012) on Fresh Sound Records
Floyd Smith “Floyd’s Guitar Blues” composed by Smith from Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy (1935) on ASV
Leon McAuliffe “Blue Guitar Stomp” from Indian Summer (2013) — Leon McAuliffe, steel guitar in Tulsa, Oklahoma style
Noel Boggs Quintet “Steelin’ Home” from Magic Steel Guitar (Remastered) (2011) on Essential Media Group — Noel Boggs steel guitar; close friend of Christian; Boggs also an Oklahoman
Don Byas “LAURA” composed by mercer from Tenor Giant (1954) on Jazz Party
Barney Kessel “Salute to Charlie Christian (Remastered)” composed by B. Kessel from All Legacy Masters (Remastered) (2014) on Nueva Era Recordings — Kessel references Charlie Christian’s “Swing to Bop”
Charlie Christian “Untitled Tune – (breakdown)” composed by Charlie Christian from The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Bonus Track Version) (1941) on Columbia — Benny Goodman Sextet: CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib, JOHNNY GUARNIERI-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Charlie Christian “Solo Flight” from The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Bonus Track Version) (1941) on Columbia — Benny Goodman Orchestra: Cootie Williams, trum;
Frank Vignola & Friends “BESAME MUCHO” from Playing the Standards (Swing Classics By Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hammerstein and More) (2011) on Hyena Records — vocals from Jane Monheit
Count Basie “TurnAround” from Basie and Friends (1974) on OJC
Benny Goodman Sextet “STARDUST” composed by Gershwin from Benny Goodman Sextet (Mono Version) (1941) on BNF Collection — Benny Goodman Sextet: CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, BENNY GOODMAN-clt, LIONEL HAMPTON-vib, FLETCHER HENDERSON-p, ARTIE BERNSTEIN-b, NICK FATOOL-d.
Teddy Wilson “Moanin Low” from Fine and Dandy (1937)
Mary Lou Williams “St. Louis Blues” from Mary Lou Williams 1944 (1944) on Classics
Cootie Williams “Echoes Of Harlem” composed by Ellington from Cootie Williams and His Orchestra 1945-1946 (1946) on Classics — Cootie Williams, trum, leader; vocals from Bob Merrill; Sam Allen, guitar
Charlie Christian “Stompin’ at the Savoy” from Stompin’ at the Savoy (1941) — CHARLIE CHRISTIAN, JOE GUY-tpt, KENNY KERSEY-p, NICK FENTON-b, KENNY CLARKE-d.
Russell Malone “Malone Blues” composed by Russell Malone from Live At Jazz Standard, Vol. 1 (2006) on MaxJazz
Call and Response 